Discovering Destiny
by Black Shard
Summary: (Movie version of Chosen by Destiny) A group of young teenagers become a top secret ninja team tasked to defend Ninjago as they form bonds, discover themselves, and forge their own destiny, all while protecting their home from Lord Garmadon, the worst guy ever... who also happens to be the ninja leader Lloyd's father.
1. A Warrior's Resolve

**Discovering Destiny**

 **It's finally here! The long awaited Chosen by Destiny Remastered Edition: Discovering Destiny! I've been looking forward to writing this ever since the second trailer came out & I don't want to get ahead of myself but I'm really excited to see how this will turn out! As always, here's the obligatory disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago or the movie. Lego & Warner Bros does. Now let's jump up, kick back, whip around, & spin- I mean, get this long-awaited fic started!**

* * *

Prologue: A Warrior's Resolve

A warrior gazed at the vast lands she devoted her whole life to protect. It was all she knew ever since she started training in the art of combat. Defending this land and all her inhabitants were all she ever lived for, but all that had changed as soon as she met… him...

Though they were enemies, they were still drawn to one another. He was determined and ambitious, never letting anyone or anything get in his way. That determination earned him her respect, much like how she earned his as one of, if not, THE greatest warrior he ever faced. Their mutual respect slowly evolved into love and despite the objections of her allies, she eventually married him. But being a wife failed to diminish her skill in battle nor did her resolve to protect this world ever fade.

But now, there was something… someone... far more important for her to protect.

The coos of an infant brought her out of her thoughts and she turned her eyes towards the bundle in her arms. A tiny face peeked out from the green swaddling cloths and innocent eyes that were just as green stared up at hers.

Despite his past and actions, her husband genuinely loved her as she did towards him and their shared love resulted in a child of their own and she couldn't forget the joy they both felt on the day their son arrived into this vast world.

But those sweet memories made way for some more bitter thoughts to surface in her mind.

Becoming aware of her spouse's obsessions, she began to fear for their child's life.

So young and so innocent, he had a full life ahead of him and that only filled her heart with guilt. Her son deserved to know who his father was but she didn't want him to follow the same path. There was also no one to blame but herself for being so blinded by her infatuation she overlooked the fact that despite the genuine love he had for her and their child, the man who used to be her husband still will not stop at nothing to take over the world and undoubtedly become an evil influence on their son. She also thought about passing down her mantle when he comes of age instead but she realized she didn't want that either. She saw what war does to people, even to those she personally knew. Her innocent son doesn't deserve that kind of life. As much as it pained her to do so, she ultimately chose to divorce her husband and separate him from their child. She'll never forget how sad her son had looked when she left his father. Part of her wanted to turn back.

But… this child was not his father… but he was not his mother either...

Only her son can decide who he truly is and only he can choose the path he will walk one day.

But right now, he needed her more than anyone else.

Ever since the day she became a warrior, she knew she can't be one forever. There will be a time when that chapter of her life will end but she never thought it would be like this.

But she made her choice and she knew what she must do.

There was no going back.

It was time to hang up her armor and weapons and become the mother she must be for her child. She knew it won't be easy, especially not having her now divorced husband around, but she'll learn. She'll do it for her son's sake. It will be a very difficult job but long as it will give her son the life he deserves and a chance to decide what kind of life he wants to lead, or at least let him have a normal life, so be it. She may no longer be a warrior but she still possessed a warrior's resolve.

But no matter what, she will always support him. As long as it was what he truly wanted, then she will not stop him.

"One day, you will discover who you really are... You will always be my precious baby boy but you are much more than that… You are you…" She caressed her baby's face, "You mustn't walk the same path as your father… yet I don't want you to tread down the path I've taken… All I want for you is to know who you are…"

She gazed at her son, whose green eyes filled her with a sense of hope.

"Lloyd Garmadon..."

* * *

 **How was it?**

 **With this being my new big project, I still can't help but feel a little nervous. I like to think my writing has changed with the experiences I've made over the years but only time will tell. Hopefully I'll be able to do the movie & original story justice. As long as fans old & new enjoy the stories I make, that's all I need to keep going. It won't be easy like before but I'll do my best.**

 **As always, please review!**


	2. My Very First Friends

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Seriously, guys. I can't believe all the positive feedback I got from all of you. I'm so grateful & I hope I won't disappoint. Now we're on to the first true chapter of this story. The story may have a slow start but at least we'll be introduced to a couple of other characters. So sit back and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1: My Very First Friends

It's been several years since the storied warrior, Lady Iron Dragon, faded into history. But she still lived amongst the people she once protected, now protecting the most important person to her.

Fortunately for Koko, her brother-in-law, the wise Master Wu, was always there whenever she needed him for advice and assistance in raising her child. When he first laid eyes on his nephew, the sagely old man said he sensed something special deep within him, as if he was destined to do something greater than any of them could ever imagine. She didn't like to dwell too much into his statement. She wanted Lloyd to grow to be his own person and not suffer the burdens she have faced so many years ago. Wu also told Koko of his plans on forming a new team of ninja to protect Ninjago in the future, which she supported despite this team more than likely opposing her former husband. However, she also voiced her reluctance to allow her son to fight in any wars, especially against his own father. In the end, Koko and Wu agreed that Lloyd should make his own decisions as his own person and if he wants to join the secret ninja force, then he'll only do it out of his own free will.

But there were other things for Koko to worry about besides taking care of her son.

Koko worried that Lloyd will never make any friends. More often than not, he would run home in tears and tell her how everyone in school, both classmates and teachers, would exclude him from activities such as recess games or not give him any rewards for good behavior for no other reason than because he was the son of Garmadon. His experiences struck close to home for his mother not just because he was also her son but because she was faring something similar at work.

It was never easy for any single mother to find a job but if your husband was the worst guy ever, then it'll be a miracle to even get an internship, as Koko found out. Being a renowned warrior in the past, it wasn't hard for most people to recognize her as Lady Iron Dragon but it was just as easy for her to be remembered as the woman who supposedly betrayed her people to marry the evil warlord Garmadon and bear him his child...

* * *

"Mom, why does everyone hate me?" The six-year-old Lloyd asked all of a sudden after his mother got him ready for bed.

Koko sighed sadly, having heard her son ask that question so often.

"Lloyd… you are the son of Garmadon… When you don't know someone but you know their parents, it's easy to assume they're just like them..." She answered as best as she could.

"Do you think I'm gonna end up like Dad?"

Lloyd's words struck a little too close to home for his mother. That question was the main reason why she left his father in the first place.

"Of course not," Koko reassured him, and possibly herself, "Everyone is their own person. You are not your father."

"Then who am I?"

"That is up to you to decide. Whether you grow up to do great things or remain an ordinary boy, one thing will never change. You are Lloyd Garmadon."

The warrior turned mother kissed her son's forehead and tucked him in, letting him get ready for yet another day in Ninjago...

* * *

A few weeks later, the annual parent-teacher night was held at Ninjago Elementary School. Adamant on protecting her son, Koko always attended the yearly meetings, doing whatever she can to convince the teachers and the parents of her son's classmates to give him a chance. But going to the meetings meant leaving her son but luckily, Wu was there to babysit for her (and he was the only person in all of Ninjago willing to do so).

Koko never really liked going to the yearly parent-teacher meetings because, at least to her, they were always the same. The parents and teachers complain about Lloyd's so-called abnormalities, how they don't want him anywhere near their children, and if they didn't complain about her son, then they'll end up targeting her, chewing her out over her past with Garmadon and even 'betraying feminism' by leaving her life as a warrior behind.

"If you just give my son a chance, you'll find that he's a really sweet boy and is no different from your own children." Koko pleaded to the other parents as she always did every year.

"That's what they all say." One of the parents scoffed.

"Please, you can't judge someone by how their parents act."

"Says the woman who fell in love with the worst guy ever."

"I lost all faith in her when she married Garmadon."

The former warrior was disappointed but at the same time, not surprised. She always tried convincing the adults to give her son a chance every year but the response was the same. They would dismiss her or even mock her. Because of her infamy as Garmadon's former wife, most of them never trusted her. Just because someone does some questionable things in the past doesn't mean they'll continue doing them or remain as they were in the past. It was disheartening that too few people believe that.

"Also, get this. She decided to just crawl back into the kitchen to 'help' her son, a son she had because she ended up needing a man." One of the mothers bantered on, slandering the former warrior.

Koko wasn't new to those kinds of criticisms but the way she kept going was really trying her patience and the hypocritical woman just wouldn't stop.

"No matter how man-hungry you get, it's completely idiotic to fall in love at first sight with your own enemy and even have their child. I won't be surprised if she didn't quit fighting just because of that. I bet all those years of doing nothing but housework made her forget how to use a sword."

"Is there something you would like to say to me?" Koko asked, staring at the woman icily.

"Oh, I was just thinking about the choices of a woman," The mother smiled insincerely, "At least I took my time getting to actually know my husband and still do more than being a housewife."

"Really? If you think that makes you so strong, then where were you when your villages were razed by Garmadon? Where were you when other women trained and fought for their homes? You are the very last person who has any right to dictate what makes a woman 'strong'. We are all no better than every other woman in this world. I won't bother wasting any more time with you."

Having no patience in getting a response from her, Koko turned her back to leave but the judgemental woman somehow felt the need to twist the knife before she was out of earshot.

"Guess it's not just that kid's father to blame for him being a freak."

Before the catty woman knew it, the dark lord's former lover was right in front of her, her expression was still calm but her eyes burned with a fury like no other.

"Is that what you really think?" Her voice was low and quiet, yet her wrath was plain for all to hear.

Before the woman could respond, Koko continued chewing her out.

"I won't deny I was a foolish young girl and I won't deny I have done many things that caused nothing but grief for myself and my son. I gave up on fighting to make life easier for my child but that does not make me weak. It never did. If you think retiring from the battlefield will stop me from standing up for my son, then you're wrong. If you still want to mock or belittle me or call me things like a sellout or an anti-feminist, go ahead. I'll accept all the insults you'll throw at me but if you go and insult my child, I'll make you live just so you can regret it for the rest of your life. If you want to harass me for my choices and my past, then go ahead, but I will NOT let you lay a finger on my son!"

All the parents and teachers can do nothing but stare in stunned silence at woman who was once the famous Lady Iron Dragon who instilled great fear in her enemies.

"I believe I've spent more than enough time here. Good night." The former warrior left, not willing to hear another harsh word aimed at her son.

* * *

The first thing Wu noticed upon his sister-in-law's return was the dull look in her eyes. The determined light in those emerald orbs have completely vanished. He already knew what went on at the meeting wasn't good. With Lloyd fast asleep, Koko confided her inner doubts to him.

"There's nothing I can do..." She sighed, letting tears caused by her pent-up frustration run down her face, "All I want is for Lloyd to be happy and I couldn't even do that. Everything I've done were all for nothing. I'm starting to think maybe it was better to stay with Garmadon..."

"Koko, it's not like you to falter," Wu wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders, "Everyone faces difficult times and you've already succeeded in giving Lloyd the life he deserves."

"What life? A life where everyone believes he's just like your brother? Is that the kind of life you think he deserves?" Koko sniffled.

"No. You have shown him a world of possibilities. You can't shelter him from the darker things forever. Things don't always go as they planned and you know that better than anyone else. Lloyd still has a lot of growing up to do so he still has plenty of time. One day, when he least expects it, he'll find his own path and be at peace with himself. It's one of the trials and tribulations he must face alone."

"Maybe you're right… and I apologize… My behavior right now isn't becoming of a mother..."

"Don't blame yourself. Your feelings right now are proof that you _are_ a good mother. A mother's love is one of the most powerful emotions in the world and your tears are a testimony of the immense love you have for Lloyd, not a weakness. It takes a truly strong person to show their true emotions, and you have proven yourself to be one of the strongest people in Ninjago time and again. The only thing Lloyd needs and what he needs most is a mother's love and you've been giving him just that for years now. If anything, you are the best mother in all of Ninjago."

Koko thought over Wu's words of wisdom. She loved Lloyd more than anything else in the world and was willing to go to hell and back for him and despite the populace judging him, he still had a chance at walking down a path he'll be content with. All she needed to do was to love and support him just as any mother would for their children and she's been doing it for years. She never failed him.

"Thank you, Wu… I'll keep doing my best..." Koko wiped away her tears and regained her resolve.

"I have faith in you." Wu can see the spark of determination in her eyes and knew things will work out and one day, Lloyd will discover his own destiny…

* * *

Several more weeks passed and Koko continued to care for Lloyd, who was still being ostracized by his peers. But little did they know that today, that may all change...

"I don't wanna go to school!" Lloyd whined as Koko got him ready for another school day.

"Lloyd, I know how hard it is to be around people who say mean things to you. I can't be here for you forever. One day, you'll have to stand up on your own two feet. Show the world who you really are and they'll accept you." She tried to reassure him.

"But everybody at school hates me!"

"I know what it's like. Mommy also has to be around people who are mean to her because of who she married. You can't let them keep hurting you. If you stand tall and never give up, you'll win in the end. Then who knows? Maybe they'll find out they were wrong about you and stop being mean."

"What if they don't?"

"Then it's their fault for not seeing you for the sweet little boy you really are."

"...I'm not..."

Koko was saddened that no matter what she does, it seemed like Lloyd may never be happy. It almost made the efforts she made to give him a normal life be in vain.

"Lloyd, don't listen to what the mean kids say. All they do is assume everything. I'm your mother and I know you better than anyone else. I know you are a good boy and there are so many possibilities out there for you. Don't let those kids or anyone control you or decide who you are. That is entirely up to you. The opinions that matters most is yours. Now have a nice day at school, sweetie."

"I'll try..."

* * *

Every single day at Ninjago Elementary School was the same for Lloyd. Just as soon as he left the bus, all the other kids and parents who were dropping off their own little ones glared and spread malicious whispers about him, not caring that he could hear them… or perhaps that's why they did.

"It's him..."

"He gives me the creeps."

"I'm glad I'm not in his class."

"I don't want him anywhere near my daughter."

"Kids, don't go near him."

The son of Garmadon had all those nasty quotes thrown at him for years yet it still hurt all the same. And it was all his father's fault. If he never became the evil warlord he is now, then he would've never been bullied by the other kids. His father already ruined his life.

'I hate you, Dad...' The young boy cursed his father in his thoughts.

* * *

During recess, the class agreed to play hide-and-seek, one of the very few activities Lloyd got to take part in, if only because his classmates always made him hide and they never find him on purpose but even then, they don't always let him join in.

"Can I join you this time?" He asked meekly.

"Uh… no… We wanna have only ten kids hiding..." His classmate Chen rejected him.

"Wait a sec. There's only -"

"We don't want you ruining it for us, okay!?" The brunette and his friends ran off, making it clear that Lloyd wasn't wanted in their game.

The young outcast can do nothing but sit in the corner watch his classmates play from afar.

Why can't he fit in with the other kids?

Did they have something he didn't or was it the other way around?

After all, he was the son of Lord Garmadon. Because of his parentage, everyone acted like he was just like his father without even taking the chance to know him. Several tears already leaked from his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. Even when no one was there to see him, he didn't want to cry out in public. It was bad enough to already be stuck in the bottom of the social ladder.

But all that changed when two shadows loomed over the lonely boy.

Lloyd flinched at the shadows and as much as he didn't want to, he gave in to his curiosity and let his emerald eyes follow the silhouettes until he found the people the shadows belonged to. Much to his surprise, they were two children, a boy and a girl who didn't look much older than him.

The boy had bronze skin, spiky brown hair, and amber eyes that appeared red in the sunlight while the girl was fair-skinned, had short and straight black hair, her eyes were light blue like a cloudless sky, and she had a little beauty mark next to her right eye. Despite their unique features, the duo still had some similarities as they bore the same facial structure and the same sharp almond eyes whose gaze stayed on the son of the dark lord.

"W-who are you? What do you want?" Lloyd curled up even more, assuming they were also out to get him like all the other kids.

"Do you mind if we talk with you? I'm Hinata Kai and this is my little sister, Nya!" The boy gestured to himself and his sibling.

They seemed nice but the young pariah still didn't trust them yet his curiosity got the better of him.

"Why aren't you playing with the other kids?" Lloyd asked.

"We don't like them," Nya scoffed, "They keep calling us weird and they don't like us either. I mean, I like to play with dolls but I also like to play with cars. What's wrong with that?"

"And my friends say I lose my cool too much!" Her brother added, "But you know what? If they end up doing nothing but complain about me and run off, then they're not really friends."

"Were they… ever mean to you…?"

"Of course!" Kai said, "They say we're too weird or different! You know, we can make our own group with kids like us who have trouble fitting in!"

Lloyd still wasn't sure what to make of the siblings. They were the first people besides his mother and uncle who were willing to talk to him and not even bring up his father but it's probably because they don't know he was the dark lord's child.

"Can we be friends?" Kai asked abruptly.

Lloyd was pretty sure he was dreaming.

For once, someone asked him to be their friend. He pinched his arm to see if this was a dream or not but the lingering pain on his skin and the fact that Kai and Nya were still in front of him said it all.

"Do you think so? What about my dad?" Lloyd hesitated.

"Who cares who your dad is? We didn't care who our friends' parents were! Our parents always tell us that the most important thing about friends is to stick together all the time. The friends we had didn't do that." Nya said.

"But… my dad is Garmadon..."

Kai and Nya became speechless at the revelation that they were about to befriend the son of the dark lord, whose slight hope on making his first friends have been shattered.

"You're nothing like your dad." Kai was the first to respond but not the way Lloyd expected him to.

"We still think you're a nice kid." Nya added.

"But what about the other kids?" Lloyd remained hesitant, fearful that Kai and Nya will also be bullied or worse, end up leaving him.

"Forget about them! If we can't hang out with them, we can hang out together! We can sleep over at our homes and throw birthday parties for each other! It'll be great!" Nya proposed.

"You… really think we can be friends…?"

"Of course! We'll be best friends for the rest of our lives! I know it!" Kai took hold of Lloyd's arm and hoisted him onto his feet.

Before they trio can actually socialize, the bell rang, marking the end of recess.

"Aw man, I can't believe it's over! Too bad we go to different classes..." Kai groaned.

"Stop whining! We can still hang out tomorrow and on every recess." Nya reminded him.

"Are you sure?" Lloyd asked.

"We'll hang out here tomorrow. We promise." Kai and Nya seemed sincere and even held their pinkie fingers to make good on their promise.

Lloyd shyly help up his finger too and intertwined it with theirs.

And with that Lloyd's life was changed forever...

* * *

For the very first time ever since Lloyd started going to school, Koko was greeted by his smile and she was both overjoyed and curious of the reason for his joy.

"Mom! I made some friends!" He shouted excitedly the moment he returned to their apartment.

"You did? Who are they?" His mother asked, delighted that her son finally found people who saw past his parentage and gave him a chance.

"They said their names are Kai and Nya! They said we can hang out together!"

"My little boy finally has friends! That's so wonderful, Lloyd!" Koko held her son in a tight bear hug.

"Mom! You're choking me!" Lloyd coughed.

"I'm just so happy! There _are_ people out there who see the real you!"

"They also said we can come over to our houses and have birthday parties! Can I go?"

"Of course you can! And I'd really love to meet your new friends!"

"You really think they're my… friends…?" Lloyd didn't know how to feel about other kids being called his own friends.

"Yes. Lloyd, I've been waiting for years to tell you this… Your friends will be very important to you. True friends will always be there for you when you need them most. They are the only people who only see the real you, not the you that everyone else thinks you are. You may even help one another discover more about yourselves and one day, find the path you were destined for. Cherish them, Lloyd."

"I will, Mom."

Lloyd's young mind couldn't fully understand everything his mother told him but he knew his friends will be important to him and they were because they made him feel like he finally belonged. Even if he had just one friend, that was enough to finally make him happy.

These two friends were all he needed to start the long journey to accepting himself…

* * *

 **Gosh, I can't help but feel disappointed in this chapter. I don't want to rush anything but still…**

 **Now that we see how Kai & Nya met Lloyd, we'll get to see the other ninja & at least one of the kunoichi. As you saw with Koko, I also plan on tackling certain topics & tropes. The first few chapters may be a bit slow but I want to give this fic a proper 'introductory arc'.**

 **As always, please review!**


	3. The More The Merrier

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Last time we left off, Lloyd finally makes his first friends. Now, we'll be introduced to the rest of the ninja & one of the kunoichi. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2: The More The Merrier

It was finally recess at Ninjago Elementary School, which Lloyd was looking forward to for possibly the first time in his short life.

Once his class was outside, Lloyd made a beeline for the very same corner where he met Kai and Nya.

"Lloyd!" A familiar voice called to him.

Much to Lloyd's astonishment, Kai and Nya were there, just as they promised they would.

"You actually came…!" The once friendless boy was pleasantly surprised they kept their promise.

"Of course we did! We're your friends!" Kai said.

'My friends...' That phrase was still unfamiliar to the little outcast.

"Is something wrong?" Nya noticed Lloyd's somber expression.

"...No… It's just that… I didn't think you would..." The outcast pointed his emerald eyes to the ground.

"And why not?" Kai retorted, "A promise is a promise."

"What about the other kids? If they see you with me, they'll hate you too." Lloyd sighed.

"Actually, we didn't really have a lot of friends in the first place..." The older sibling confessed.

"Still… what if you want other friends and… and..." The outcast became too nervous to tell his friends his fear that their bond may not last.

The siblings stared at Lloyd with concern and then whispered something amongst themselves. After a few moments, they turned to him and did the very last thing he expected.

"Friendship hug!" Kai and Nya wrapped their arms tightly around Lloyd, taking him by surprise as they did when they first met.

"I-I thought you were…!"

" _Now_ do you believe we're friends?" Kai asked, "We love doing that with our friends!"

"You… really think I'm a… friend…?"

Lloyd wasn't sure how to feel. Kai and Nya truly were his friends, whom he thought he'll never have. It still felt like a dream and so many emotions were coursing through his mind at once. He didn't exactly know how to feel and suddenly burst into tears.

"Hey! Don't cry!" Nya attempted to comfort him.

Lloyd rubbed off his tears but was still confused by his own emotions.

"But I'm not sad at all..." He sniffled, "I don't know why but I still want to cry… I don't understand..."

Kai and Nya didn't know how to answer him but still stood by their new friend's side. They can tell he was more than his father's son and they'll still take their chance to see who he truly was.

But Lloyd will eventually know why he shed those tears.

* * *

"Those were tears of joy." Koko told him after he got home from school and explained everything.

"But crying only happens when you're sad..." Lloyd was still confused by his earlier emotions.

"There's still so much for you to learn," His mother chuckled, "I used to believe that when I was your age. Your uncle once told me it takes a truly strong person to show their true emotions. You are much stronger than you think you are, Lloyd. There is absolutely no shame in crying or expressing how you feel at the moment. Your emotions are part of who you are."

"Even being the son of the dark lord?" Her child asked, bringing up his father.

Koko's eyes darkened for a moment, understanding how her son felt since she was still judged by her own actions in the past.

"We all have a part of ourselves that we wish weren't… but it's part of who we are, whether we like it or not… Even I have done things I'm not proud of… But we are not defined by our past. You still have plenty of time to find yourself. Lloyd, I understand you have a lot of questions right now but when the time comes when you know who you truly are deep down, you'll find the answers. I also want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always love you and be there for you. Your friends will also be important to you. Lloyd, don't ever give up, okay?"

Koko embraced her son, hoping to give him the courage he needs to discover himself.

* * *

Throughout the rest of primary school, Lloyd, Kai, and Nya remained friends. Even if the siblings were the only friends he had over the years, Lloyd was happy to just have some companions who see him as someone who's related to the worst guy ever. It took a while but he was able to open up to them and show he was no different than any other children despite his parentage. The outcast had as much as a penchant for comics and candy as any other little boy. In turn, Lloyd also learned more about his first friends that set them apart from the rest of the children at school.

Both Kai and Nya had an interest in Ninjago's history, particularly the era when the land saw constant battles not long before they were born. According to the Hinata siblings, their parents fought in some of those battles alongside one of the greatest warriors Ninjago had ever seen, the legendary Lady Iron Dragon herself, whom Nya idolized while Kai wanted to become a master of the katana like his father had been. It was also strange that their parents told them about that era while Lloyd's mother refused to speak of it but he was sure her marriage to his villainous father may have something to do with it. But the siblings also had their own personalities and quirks which set them apart…

The kids were at the Hinata residence, completely engrossed in their video games.

"I win!" Nya jumped about victoriously once the trio finished a round of Super Smashers.

"No fair!" The hotheaded Kai was quick to throw a fit as usual, "You were lucky you got that hammer!"

"No! I won because I'm the best!" The Hinata sister boasted.

"Who says so?" Her brother complained.

"I said so!" She bragged yet again.

"I'm gonna beat you! We're going again!" Kai snapped.

"What's up with you arguing over everything all the time!? Not everything is a contest!" Lloyd asked, slightly annoyed by both Kai's extremely short temper and Nya's excessive competitiveness.

"Kids! It's lunchtime!" Mrs. Hinata beckoned the children to satiate their appetites.

Lloyd continued to be surprised by the Hinata family. With their surname, he thought they were fully Japanese, unlike him who was part Danish through his mother. His preconceived notions were thrown out the window when Kai and Nya's parents served homemade Mexican food, from spicy quesadillas to fresh guacamole.

"Lloyd! You should try this!" Kai handed him a plate of tacos, "It's a family recipe!"

"Wait, you're part Mexican?" Lloyd asked.

"Quarter-Mexican," Kai answered, "Our grandma is Mexican and she made the best tacos in Ninjago! They're so good, especially with a lot of hot sauce!"

Lloyd simply stared at his friend dousing his food (which was already stuffed with jalapenos) with the spicy condiment. From what he's seen, Kai had a pretty big appetite, especially for spicy foods, which seemed apt with his hot temper.

Kai and Nya really were a unique pair with their own ups and downs but Lloyd couldn't imagine having his first friends any other way.

While Lloyd was grateful for his friendship with Kai and Nya, the bullying from the other children never stopped and it still hurt. Even if the Hinata siblings were fiercely protective, Lloyd still spent many days moping over his parentage. Somehow, even if he wasn't there, his father was making his life nothing short of a nightmare and his enmity increased over the years. However, there was still a small part of himself who wished to still be with his father despite his evil deeds and at times, he was even scared of those feelings. His father was nothing but an evil warlord who would never care for him…

At least that's what he tells himself...

* * *

It was during their final year at Ninjago Elementary School that the trio were finally in the same class but it was also during that same year, the trio became a quartet.

"You'll be working on the project in groups of four." The teacher paired off the children in her class.

Because no one else wanted to work with Lloyd, the trio somehow managed to be paired together but there was also the fourth member.

The last member was an extremely timid boy whose shyness made him easily overlooked by his peers. Perhaps that was why he was grouped up with the trio in the first place. Constantly hiding in his scarf, the other kids couldn't really tell what he looked like or anything else about him for that matter.

Seeing Lloyd and the siblings interacting only seemed to make the boy even more nervous. Lloyd saw a small part of himself in the shy boy and understood how he felt. It was never easy being approached by someone he didn't know and he knew what it's like to be judged.

"You don't have to be scared." As expected, Kai was the first to speak, which only frightened the boy.

"Kai! Don't scare him!" Nya hissed at her brother.

"What did I do!?" The fiery boy retorted.

"That's enough," Lloyd got in between them before facing the boy, "What's your name?"

"I-I'm… I… I'm..." The freckled boy stuttered for at least four minutes before finally answering.

"I'm… Jay Walker..." The boy finally answered, his voice so quiet, the others just barely heard his name and he finally lowered his scarf so they can see his face.

The most striking feature about the boy were his eyes. They were like pools of dazzling sapphires that were often hidden by his thick bangs of curly chocolate brown hair. His pure blue eyes also stood out against his deeply tanned skin though the kids can still see the freckles mottling his cheeks.

"Your eyes… They're..." Nya found herself awestruck by Jay's eyes.

The shy boy shivered and shrunk away from the sole girl's gaze, hiding himself with his scarf yet again.

"P-please don't hurt me!" He whimpered with an accent unlike any the trio have ever heard.

"Don't worry, we're not gonna you." The younger Hinata sibling coaxed him.

"Y-you're not…?" Jay asked, still shaking like a leaf.

"They won't… At least they were always nice to me..." Lloyd answered.

"Tell us about yourself." Kai goaded him.

"I-I was born here… but I l-lived in Parsa until I turned nine… But I still go there every s-summer..." Jay finally spoke but was still too shy to speak above a stuttering whisper.

"Parsa, you mean the Garden City?" The wide-eyed Nya asked.

From what the kids heard, Parsa was a city far from Ninjago City that earned its nickname for its many luxurious gardens but it was also famous for its gorgeous architecture, mesmerizing art, and for being very technologically progressive.

"Y-yeah… My… g-great-grandpa was from Parsa… My parents say I l-look just like him… That's why we m-moved there for a while..."

Lloyd remained silent throughout the conversation, fearing that Jay didn't say anything negative about him only because of his timid nature.

"Wait… Aren't you Lloyd Garmadon…?" Jay recognized the outcast.

Bolts of fear ran down the green-eyed boy's spine. He had a feeling the already anxiety-ridden Jay will be terrified once he finds out the truth…

"So what if he is?" Kai asked and Lloyd had never been so tempted to strangle his friend.

"I… actually feel a little bad…" Jay said, which was the very last thing the outcast expected.

"You do?" The dark lord's son as surprised the shy boy bore very little animosity towards him.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm very close with my family and -"

"You there! The group in the back! Get back to work!" The teacher scolded the group.

"We'll talk at recess." Nya offered.

Kai and Lloyd could've sworn they saw an excited sparkle in Jay's pure blue eyes before he cowered in his scarf yet again and before they knew it, Jay managed to find his way into the group, which was the last thing he _and_ Lloyd expected but there were worse ways to end their years at grade school...

* * *

Lloyd thought that all his problems would go away once he graduated Ninjago Elementary School and leave that godawful place behind.

Boy was he wrong.

While Lloyd still stuck with his small group of friends, he became more distrustful of the other teens.

It seemed that once children become teens, they only become bigger bullies. The girls grew into vain and shallow backstabbers who turn against one another at the drop of a hat while the boys devolved into all-brawn, no-brain buffoons who obsess over punching things and never crying. While the Hinata siblings and Jay remained friends with him, the judgemental glares and words from everyone else got worse. Cheerleaders would shout 'Boo Lloyd!' whenever he was within earshot and the thickheaded jocks openly admit they pretend the footballs they toss around was his own head.

"Hey, Lloyd!"

As much as Lloyd didn't want to, he turned to face the quarterback Tyler Krux out of instinct while he was getting ready for PE.

The jock held up a ball with the pariah's face crudely drawn onto it with X's for eyes.

"This is gonna be you during class!" Tyler threw the ball at a basket full of equipment, causing all the contents to spill out. He and the other jocks cackled at Lloyd's frightened reaction.

The outcast gulped nervously, hoping it was just a sick metaphor.

As much as Lloyd wanted to, he knew it'll be useless to tell the teacher. Even the school staff abhorred him and ignored any of his complaints of bullying, saying things like 'If it weren't for having Garmadon as your dad, you wouldn't be hated in the first place.' He even told his mother and despite her efforts, she was also shot down simply because she married the dark lord.

There seemed to be nothing he nor his mother could do to prove everyone that he was not the same as his father. The judgemental teens were much more ruthless than they were as children and it was impossible to walk down the halls without hearing them making passive-aggressive potshots at him. Sometimes, even the teachers would take whatever opportunities they can find to ostracize him and it can all be traced back to his father.

'I don't need anyone else… Especially not… _him_...' Lloyd thought bitterly.

But it's not like he had a choice.

However, fate may have something bigger than he could ever imagine in store for him...

* * *

Math was Nya's least favorite subject though she made sure to get good grades because only the best of the best can become the Lady Iron Dragon of their generation.

"Cole! What did I say about not playing music in class!?" Ms. Turner scolded her student for creating a distraction from today's session with his loud tunes.

Nya stifled a tiny snicker as her classmate only stared at their teacher with jaded indifference.

"Is there something funny, Miss Hinata?" The teacher shifted her gaze in Nya's direction.

"Nope!" She shook her head.

Once their teacher went back to her duties, Nya gave a glance at her classmate's direction.

The music-loving Cole Charbonneau was considered very handsome by most of his female classmates and even Nya had to admit she can see why.

The teen had a very dark complexion like rich earth and an already muscular build as if he worked out on a daily basis despite not being a member of any of the sports teams. His messy long locks were the same pitch black hue as hers and his eyes were green but they weren't the same as Lloyd's. While her friend's eyes were like pure emeralds, Cole's green eyes carried hints of brown, somehow evoking an image of the earth itself, as if he had some sort of special connection with it.

Yet the most notable feature about him were his eyebrows. They were the thickest pair Nya had ever seen but they somehow added to his good looks like they were part of who he truly was.

After class, the ebony-haired duo chatted, being acquaintances for their similar tastes in music.

"That's the fourth time this week," Cole rolled his eyes, "It's not my fault for liking what I like."

"Teachers are lame," Nya shared his sentiment, "You know, I think you'd like to meet my friends. What do you say?"

"Sounds cool." The dark-skinned young man nodded, willing to try and make some new friends...

* * *

The closest thing Kai had to a favorite subject was science. Being an impatient young man, he enjoyed doing some more hands-on stuff like making liquids bubble or make marshmallows go up in smoke but he particularly enjoyed experiments requiring a Bunsen burner.

"Kai." The bespectacled science teacher Mr. Borg summoned him.

"What now?"

"You'll be working with Zane Julien on today's experiments of pH value."

A boy with skin too pale for any living human to possess and hair as pure white as freshly fallen snow in an undercut walked up to him with an unnaturally rigid gait that reminded the hot-blooded teen of a wind-up toy.

"Hello, fellow teenager." The strange boy greeted with a monotonous voice that strangely echoed, all while wearing a big smile that was more unsettling than anything.

"Uh… hi…?" Kai greeted back awkwardly.

This… Zane Julien… was odd to say the least…

He looked just like a porcelain doll come to life which only made his looks all the more jarring. The way he just stood there without making the slightest sound or movement, not even blinking once, nearly convinced Kai he really was just a life-sized doll if he hadn't spoken to him earlier. Lastly, his blue eyes were extremely pale, even more than his sister's and they apparently glowed, making him seem even more unnatural.

Yet he was also very beautiful in a strange way, much like the ephemeral serenity of pure white snow sparkling under the starlight of a winter night.

Standing close to his lab partner, Kai can hear the faint sounds of gears and cogs buzzing and clicking echoing within him.

"Are you a robot?" Kai suddenly asked the strange boy with a scrutinizing glance.

"A robot? Nonsense. I am a real boy." Zane dismissed Kai's question even if the strange mannerisms he already displayed made his statement unconvincing.

"But your eyes glow which is impossible for a human and I can hear machines from inside you."

"I may be made of metal and machines but I am just as much of a wild teen as you."

Kai was left bewildered by Zane's quirks but at the same time, vaguely reminded of Lloyd and the day they first met...

"You know, you remind me of one of my friends. Maybe you'd like to meet him?"

"It would be my pleasure."

* * *

While waiting for the Hinata siblings to join them, Lloyd and Jay chatted in the halls.

"Do you ever notice… how pretty… Nya is…?" The freckled boy suddenly brought up their friend.

"...What…?" The outcast gave his friend an incredulous stare. Their sole female friend was pleasant to look at but he never felt _those_ kinds of feelings for her.

Is Jay…?

"Lloyd!" The Hinata siblings joined up with the duo, although Jay may have blushed when he saw Nya.

"Hey Nya! Who's your new friend?" Kai gestured towards the teen standing next to his sister.

"This is Cole. He goes to my math class." Nya introduced her classmate to her friends.

While Kai and Lloyd greeted him politely, Jay flinched.

"Jay, don't be rude!" Kai snapped, assuming the fidgety boy had a certain reason to be intimidated.

"Sorry… I just… I… I thought your eyebrows… I thought they were caterpillars..." Jay shook in his scarf as he had done over the years.

Cole simply wore a quizzical expression before he chuckled, much to Jay's surprise.

"You're the first person who has the guts to say that to my face!" The dark-skinned teen laughed.

"I-I am…?" The freckle-faced boy quivered.

"Speaking of new friends..." Nya peered at the strange teen standing next to her brother, who seemed to stare at nothing in particular with a blank expression.

"I almost forgot! This is Zane!" Kai introduced his unusual classmate to his friends.

"Hello, fellow teenagers." The android greeted them the same way he did with Kai.

"Uh… you sure like music..." Jay finally tried to start a conversation, taking note of the loud radio Cole carried on his shoulder.

"Of course," Cole answered, "Music has been a part of my life longer than I can remember."

"What kind do you like?" Kai asked.

"I'm partial to rock but I like just about every kind of music." The dark-skinned teen shrugged.

"Even classic?" Lloyd wondered.

"Yeah. Heavy metal, jazz, pop, you name it."

"Do you ever get people who don't like the music you listen to?"

"Doesn't make much of a difference," Cole shrugged, "No matter what songs I play, the teachers just complain it's too loud. If they don't like how loud it is, then maybe they're the ones who are too loud in the first place."

"How loud?" Zane asked, "LIKE THIS?" He raised the volume of his voice so loud everyone in the hall covered their ears sans Cole.

"Nice lungs." The dark-skinned teen smirked.

"I don't have lungs. I have speakers." Zane corrected him.

"Wait... Speakers? What are you?" Nya asked.

"Yeah… Kinda forgot about that..." Kai muttered, "He's a robot but he keeps saying he's a 'real boy'."

"I am," The humanoid insisted, "Having a robotic body does not make me any different from the rest of you because I too crave that mineral."

Most of the group were initially put off by Zane's quirks but at the same time, he was oddly endearing.

Although Cole and Zane seemed like good people, Lloyd found himself unable to trust them as quickly as he did with the Hinata siblings or even Jay. At the same time, the green-eyed youth was envious of the former being able to so easily dismiss other people's opinions of him and his taste in music as well as the latter for being so optimistic and smiling so often despite everyone else pointing out he was not human or different from the other teens for being a robot.

Only time will tell if he'll be able to accept them and they with him...

* * *

At the same time, a young girl also began her teen years in the city at the behest of her uncle.

Perhaps she won't be so lonely in Ninjago City.

Her parents were always busy and didn't have much time for her, thus it was her uncle, her mother's elder brother, who raised her and watched out for her. Even when her parents were home, they didn't spend much time with her. It was as if she didn't matter or even _exist_ to them. But she can just barely remember a time when her parents actually cared for her but that was such a long time ago. The only physical proof that time existed was a necklace, a clear crystal heart pendant hanging from a delicate golden chain.

She gazed at her necklace, reminiscing over her life up to this point.

'One day… I will find my place...'

* * *

 **That's all for this chapter. But don't worry. We'll delve further into the ninja's personalities, meet the other kunoichi, & perhaps Wu will reveal his plans to create a top secret ninja force in the next chapter to Lloyd. But for now, review!**


	4. School Sucks

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Finally! We'll finally see the kunoichi in this chapter & we'll get a further glimpse into Jay, Cole, & Zane's lives and personalities. Also, Garmadon will make his debut and Wu will introduce the idea of being a ninja to Lloyd. Read on!**

* * *

Chapter 3: School Sucks

It took a long time but Lloyd was able to really befriend Cole and Zane by the time he was fifteen. They didn't give a damn about his father, at least that's what Cole said. Zane himself used much more polite (and outdated) words to say the same thing. Just because his parents were a certain way didn't mean he's just like them.

But Lloyd was still confused as to knowing who he truly was. Even his wise uncle, whose visits became more frequent lately, claimed there was no clear answer.

"You're still a young boy," Wu told his nephew, "It takes much longer than that to define oneself."

"But I must know who I am," Lloyd protested, "Everyone just assumes I'm just like my dad but I'm not."

"Then who are you?" The sagely man asked, "Who is Lloyd Garmadon?"

"That's the problem. I don't know who I am… Well… other than being the dark lord's hated son..."

"That is for you alone to find out." His uncle said, "Each person must discover themselves and decide who they are, including you."

"But I'm not -"

"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to say to you for a long time," The old man said, almost suddenly so, "It won't be long until you come of age and fully understand what I wish to tell you. I will tell you everything when that time comes."

Patience wasn't exactly Lloyd's forte and he really wanted to know what his uncle was planning.

But Wu decided to let his nephew grow up just a little more before he can tell him...

* * *

Garmadon was surprisingly quiet during Lloyd's childhood but recently, he's been raiding the beaches that line the city and there's been rumors that he's building a base very close to the shore.

"You all ready for me to conquer Ninjago!?" Garmadon boasted upon hacking the TV networks.

Lloyd and Koko stared at the TV screen with mute disdain.

Koko was ashamed that she married someone like Garmadon. She knew she can never undo her past actions but they always have a way of coming up at the worst time possible.

Lloyd felt his blood boil upon seeing his father and somehow, resentment for never showing up until now. And worse, there was something unfamiliar within his heart. It was almost like a longing for what he can never have but it's strange.

He's not supposed to have these sort of feelings for the man who ruined his life before it began.

"Does he even know I exist?" He asked all of a sudden.

Koko can tell her son was going through all sorts of emotions because the same was happening to her.

"Part of me wants to believe he does," She answered honestly, "Unfortunately, the only way to know the true answer is to confront him and I don't think either of us want that right now..."

"You know what? I'll get straight to the point!" Garmadon boasted, "I'm gonna take over Ninjago and anything I say goes! Moonbucks will be called Garmbucks and everyone will be using gPhones!"

While his father rambled on about his plans, Lloyd let out a loud yawn and almost missed his mother's mild gasp.

"Lloyd…! Your teeth…!" Koko's stared at him, her complexion slightly paler than usual.

"What?" Lloyd felt his teeth with his tongue and poked himself with his unusually sharp canines.

Lloyd rushed to the bathroom and opened his maw. He recoiled in horror at his reflection. His formally normal canines have grown into fangs just like his father's. It was already bad enough to be hated by everyone but to have any semblance to his evil parent only twisted the knife even further. The whole population will now recognize him as the son of Garmadon.

"Dammit, Dad..." He growled, his new fangs doing wonders for his mood...

Unsurprisingly, the citizen's hostility towards Garmadon's only child increased.

People from left and right would avoid him whenever possible and he can practically feel their glares targeting him on his way to the bus stop and whenever he stood still, civilians would move as far away from him as possible, even in the bus that just arrived.

Once Lloyd took his seat, he saw that practically everyone else on the bus now sat on the other side, glaring at him. The bus couldn't handle all the weight on one side and tilted so badly the ride was a lot slower than usual and everyone was late. Of course, Lloyd's peers placed the blame on him because if it weren't for him being Garmadon's child, they wouldn't have crowded the bus in the first place. His small group of friends were the only ones that greeted him kindly upon his arrival. However, as much as he appreciated them, they can never take away from the harsh reality.

Lloyd just hoped to stay sane enough to finally graduate and get out of the hellhole that is high school.

* * *

A storm raged upon the city but it didn't distract Jay from his tinkering with some gadgets after school.

There was always something about working with machinery that made Jay relaxed. He always enjoyed the concept of conjuring new things with just his ideas and exploring all the wonders of technology. At first, he thought this was simply because he spent much his childhood in the technologically advanced Parsa but his parents insisted it was a natural gift. Even during history lessons, he was focused on any aspects that had to do with technology, from the invention of refrigerators to rumors of a secret robot super soldier project during the Warring Era not too long ago.

Speaking of technology, Nya too developed an interest in working with machinery and then his mind stayed on her.

'Nya...' Jay can't stop thinking about her once she shows up in his mind, which was quickly consumed by her to the point he saw her face in every last raindrop upon his window.

Nya was really beautiful but also strong and courageous, nothing at all like him.

He initially saw her as yet another good friend but it wasn't until a few months ago he started to have these strange feelings whenever he even thought of her. He always admired how confident she was in pretty much everything and was always ready to take on any challenge while Jay himself was insecure and shy. He always feared what others thought of him and his mind can easily drift to whatever can go wrong, thus he always had trouble making friends. After he moved back from Parsa, he was teased by much of his peers because of his accent and for not looking like his own parents, even saying he was probably adopted. It wasn't until Nya encouraged him to join their little group of friends that he now had people besides his parents who accepted him.

But he still didn't know why he had these feelings only towards Nya and not any other girl in Ninjago.

Was it because she was the only girl to befriend him?

He can't know for certain. Besides, no girl would want to be stuck with a clumsy nerd like him.

The booming cacophony of raging thunder interrupted Jay's thoughts but he didn't flinch.

For some reason, even with his shy nature, Jay never feared lightning and thunder.

Whether or not that meant something special may be answered some day…

* * *

The music club of Ninjago High was busy planning its next performance and all the songs they played made the school theater a favorite haunt for one of its members.

The only club that Cole had any interest in being part of was the music club. In spite his cool image, he liked all kinds of music. Even if it was just the melody of a single instrument, he enjoyed it. Ironically, he actually wasn't interested in playing a part in the club's musicals or performances. He joined just so he can surround himself with music and not have to face a certain someone.

His only family was his father while he had no memories of his mother. His father claimed she passed away when he was very young but never talked about what really happened. He didn't hate his father at all but they're relationship definitely needs some improvement. His father wouldn't stop nitpicking over Cole's different tastes, such as his preference for very loud rock music, growing out his ebony hair into the messy mane he had now, and refusing to wear anything with sleeves. In turn, Cole felt that his father will never understand or accept him for who he was as a whole, thus he tried to spend as much time away from home as possible.

Music wasn't just something he truly liked. It was also his personal getaway from his father and all the judgemental words people throw at him. As long as he had his music, he didn't need them...

"Cole! Can you help me get this part right?" Luna Hoffman begged her fellow club member to join her in one of her singing rehearsals.

"No problem." The dark-skinned teen accepted her request.

Even if he was laid-back to the point of appearing lazy, Cole still readily lent a hand to anyone in need.

Luna felt her heart race a bit over Cole agreeing to rehearse with her.

Luna loved music all her life and she can't imagine what it would be like without it. Ever since she was a little girl, she surrounded herself with music, from her parents' lullabies to the songs she memorized from her favorite childhood movies. From the moment she entered high school, she realized it was her lifelong dream to become the greatest idols of Ninjago. Maybe she'll be as popular as N-Pop Girl one day. Perhaps the cool and handsome Cole Charbonneau, whose passion for music is equal with hers, she'll fulfill her hopes and dreams...

* * *

Despite being a robot, Zane enjoyed experiencing life as a teenager and interacting with humans. They were so simple, yet so unique. Every single person in Ninjago were so different, from looks, thoughts, and even interests. The android was fascinated by how diverse humans really were and yearned to be among them. But the humans he sought to coexist with only saw a soulless robot who can't function beyond its original purpose.

Now that he thought about it, what purpose does he have? Is he just an automaton functioning as he was programmed to? And what was he programmed for?

Only his father had the answers...

"I have returned, Dad." Zane returned to his home in one of the many apartments of Ninjago City.

The apartment actually belonged to the highly esteemed engineer Adam Julien, the scientist who built him and brought him to life. Now, Dr. Julien was a very feeble old man who always had to rely on Zane for everything. It was ironic in a way for a once brilliant man to be reduced to a small and sickly thing depending on a son he had to build with his own hands.

"Zane, how was school?" He asked, his voice now a frail quivering whisper.

"It was the same as yesterday… Everyone still refuses to believe I am not so different from them…."

Other than his friends and father, no one believed Zane was really no different than any other human simply because he was not an organic being. He too felt happiness when he was with his friends and he also felt a protective desire to stand up for Lloyd whenever their peers picked on him. He even felt sadness and loneliness because no one saw him beyond being comprised of machines. He may be an android but other than that, he wasn't any more different from the rest of the teens of Ninjago High.

The beeping of Morse code brought Zane's attention to the computer across the living room.

It was another one of Dr. Julien's creations, the Maternally Optimized Mechanism, nicknamed M.O.M., which he built to give Zane the company of a mother by programming it to function like a parent such as making sure the humanoid was always in peak condition and to assure he won't be lonely after the old engineer will be claimed by death's inevitable grasp. Since it was the closest thing the android had to one, he always called it 'Mom', though he may have also done it out of desire to fit in.

"Yes, Mom," Zane replied, built to understand Morse code, "I will start preparing dinner right away."

One of the things that Zane truly enjoyed was cooking. He was yet again intrigued by human customs and all the things they can make. While he didn't need to eat, he was still able to ingest food thanks to his fuel tank functioning similarly to a human stomach. However, his favorite part of cooking was not the food itself but how it can bring people together. Yet again, it was always the simplest of things that fascinated the android and he loved nothing more than making his father smile with the food he made for him everyday. Perhaps one day, he can do that for everyone and then just maybe, they'll finally see Zane for who he truly is...

* * *

Today was a field trip for the students in biography, who were heading to various gardens and flower shops to learn more about plant life.

One student, Aria Fernandez, sighed wistfully as she stared out the window from the bus.

Everyday was the same where she'd get up, go to school, eat dinner, and sleep, all just to live through another day of doing the exact same thing. She felt like a wind-up doll, always doing as it was designed to do and nothing else. At other times, she was like a little bird, always repeating everything everyone says without another thought.

She tried to break out of her boring lifestyle by joining the various school clubs and taking up a variety of activities like dancing or volunteer at one of Ninjago City's many Moonbucks cafes.

Unfortunately, none of them gave her a sense of accomplishment nor satiate her desire for something more, whatever that is. She still felt like there was a part of her that was still missing like a tiny puzzle piece that's been misplaced. There was something missing that kept her from feeling whole. The fact that she had no clue was a constant source of stress for her and she wanted to find out now or she'll go insane and -

"Aria! Pay attention!" The teacher scolded her.

She groaned in annoyance but at least the class finally arrived at their destination, which turned out to be a flower shop. Aria always found it difficult keeping her mind in one place for a long time. As much as she hated it, at least being away from the school offered some compensation for her boredom...

"Welcome to Blossoming Memories," The shop owner greeted the teens, "I was told you came here so you will know how plans live their lives, correct?"

The florist taught the teens all about the nature of plants, from photosynthesis to the real purpose of flower petals. One student in particular was engrossed by his teachings, soaking every last work like a sponge until it was time for the class to head back to school.

"Have a nice day." The florist bade them farewell, "Oh, and Heather, I'll see you later at work today."

"Yes." Heather Stuart, one of the students in the class, nodded politely.

And just as predicted, she arrived at Blossoming Memories after school since that's where she had her part-time job. Heather didn't just agree to the job for the money. She actually enjoyed helping out at the flower shop due to her affinity for all kinds of flowers. She always had a strong respect for Mother Nature and her gifts. Right now, she was content with her tranquil life surrounded in nature...

But there was something nagging her from deep within her mind as of late.

'Is this all I will be…?'

Heather was normally a humble girl but lately, she's been reconsidering her complacent decisions. Not everyone is going to be rich and famous, true, but maybe there was some part of her that didn't want to be just another face in the crowd. Even if she wasn't sure she really wanted it, she had a feeling the answers will be clear to her soon…

* * *

Even while Garmadon's base that resembled a volcano was nearing completion, life goes on...

"Iris, it's time for school." A teenage girl was gently nudged awake by her uncle.

Iris groaned while her eyes fluttered open. She was greeted by the sight of her uncle towering above her. He had a hulking muscular figure and a surly face with dark facial hair. Some would be frightened by such a visage but Iris was not intimidated at all, knowing the type of person he really was.

Her uncle Karloff was the kindest and most caring person Iris knew despite his brutish appearance. He was always there for her ever since she was little, always offering advice, helping her with homework, and comforting her whenever she was sad. He also possessed a strong sense of honor, always eager to help anyone in need and to understand and see everyone solely for who they truly are inside, all while also maintaining an equally strong determination. He always taught his beliefs to his niece and she too came to embrace them.

Iris picked out her outfit for the day and settled for a dress full of lace and ribbons and a headband full of frills to go with it. She remembered the day she realized her penchant for such clothes.

One day, Iris happened upon the clothing brand, Darling the Stars Shine Bright. The cute girly dresses decked out in ribbons and frills caught her eye. She learned it was a brand that focused on the 'Sweet Lolita' fashion that was part Ninjago City's pop culture. Since then, she filled her wardrobe with them and was happiest when donning their frilly dresses. Even Iris had to admit she's a girly girl at heart and Karloff didn't mind her fashion sense and even encouraged it.

If those dresses were part of who she was, then he accepted it. Besides, he knew she was much more than her cutesy fashion sense and wanted everyone to also see the Iris Zvezda he knew.

Of course this made Iris stick out like a sore thumb and yes, even the son of Garmadon noticed and he was far from impressed the moment he saw her in the halls. Lloyd believed Iris was just making a fool of herself by always wearing those ridiculous outfits. Because of all the bullying by his classmates, he was soured by the idea of standing out, especially in such a judgemental environment such as schools.

"Hey look! It's Garma-dork!" Chen somehow managed to find a way to continue making Lloyd's social life a living hell.

Lloyd rolled his eyes at the lame insults Chen continued to hurl at him, knowing better than to give in to his provocations but Kai was within earshot and he can get a little too overzealous when defending his friends...

"What did you just say you little shit!? Come over here and say that to my face! Come on!" Kai cracked his knuckles and stomped towards Chen.

"Kai! Stop!" Lloyd joined Nya in holding his friend back. He would've been grateful if it weren't for the hot-blooded teen's outburst causing the other students' eyes to fall on him. It was bad enough for him to be forever stuck on the bottom of the high school caste system.

Believing this is what the rest of his life will be like, he might as well do what he was supposed to do a long time ago… Give up...

* * *

Lloyd was accompanied by just Wu in his apartment since Koko was attending a job meeting. The wise sage sensed his nephew's growing despair and knew it was time...

"Lloyd, do you remember when I said there was something I wanted to tell you?" He began.

"Yeah. What about it?" Lloyd tilted his head in confusion.

"Now is the time you'll begin to understand the words I'll convey to you."

Wu stood silently with his eyes closed, almost in a meditative position, much to Lloyd's annoyance.

"What -"

"Not now. It'll ruin the mood." The old man brushed off his nephew and continued meditating.

Lloyd just stared at his uncle in utter confusion for several moments until he finally spoke.

"Lloyd, when your father and I were your age, we were trained to follow the way of the ninja. We have protected and watched over this land for many years. Even Garmadon followed the same path until he succumbed to his evil ambitions. Now, he is the one who threatens the realm he once helped protect."

"Uncle..."

"Lord Garmadon has to be stopped but it's impossible to put his plans to an end by ordinary means. It will take some very special individuals to prevent his evil designs from becoming reality. Lloyd, I sense something special somewhere deep inside you."

"What are you talking about?" His nephew asked, still confused by his uncle's speech, "I have nothing going for me… besides being the most hated person in Ninjago..."

"Is it?" Wu asked cryptically, "Is that all there is to you? You still have much to learn, my nephew, even about yourself. Whether you're now ready or not is up to you."

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"I'm not going to repeat myself. I'm not a broken record."

Lloyd remembered his uncle's speech of special people being needed to stop Garmadon. He still didn't know why his uncle would be telling him this of all people. The only thing special about him was being despised by everyone and he hated it.

"I have also seen the way you and your friends interact with one another. Each of you carry something special within you. Something you don't know is there. It's now time to find it… and yourselves."

"Just get to the point." Lloyd urged him.

Wu knew such a decision could change Lloyd's life forever.

Now was the time for his and his friends' journey of self-discovery to finally begin.

"Lloyd Garmadon, how does being part of the Secret Ninja Force sound to you?"

* * *

 **Yeah, everyone seems to love the headcanon that Lloyd has fangs from his Dad & I couldn't resist so here, he has them too. As you can see here, Lloyd won't be so prominent in every chapter & maybe, may not even be in all of them. I want this story to have something of an ensemble cast instead of focusing on just Lloyd. For now, please review!**


	5. Find Yourself

**Discovering Destiny**

 **We're finally at the point where the main group will be introduced to the idea of being ninja. We'll also get a further look into the kunoichi & some good ol' ninja interactions. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Find Yourself

Many minutes of silence accompanied Lloyd and his uncle.

'Me…? A ninja…?' Lloyd still can't wrap his head around the idea of becoming more than an outcast. If he were, _everyone_ will know about him and as far as he knew, it won't be good. But then again, if he fends off Garmadon, people might appreciate him. However, they'll only accept him as a ninja and not as himself. He wanted to be seen and accepted for who he was as a whole, not for something he may not be doing all the time and was only one aspect of himself. Then again, he didn't like to stand out, at least not more than he already does.

"...I… I don't know… I mean… If I become a ninja… I'm only going to stand out even more… and I don't think that's what I want..." Lloyd hesitated.

"Life isn't all about wants," Wu started on yet another lecture, "I understand this is a lot to process. I'll let you think over this."

"What if I say no?"

"I can't say I won't be disappointed, but if you don't want to be a ninja, I won't force it upon you. Also, your friends should also know about the Secret Ninja Force. They should also decide if they want to be part of it or not."

"Do you think they'll want that?"

"Only they know the answer. I'll also seek them out and listen to what they'll say."

Wu got up to leave but not before giving some final words of encouragement to his nephew.

"You're always welcome to come to me once you've made your decision. I will see you again soon..."

Lloyd spent much of his sleepless nights tossing and turning on his bed. He knew he'll never truly fit in with the rest of his peers but if he were a ninja, things might be different.

He thought of all the possibilities being a ninja may have. For once, people won't think of his father if they thought of him as a ninja. He could become one of the greatest heroes of Ninjago and he'll finally have people who have some opinions about him that aren't so hateful.

But the worst part is that being a ninja would put him at odds with his own father.

'Since when am I _not_?' He thought to himself.

It's not like his relationship with his father couldn't get any worse. And if he fought against Garmadon, people would consider him a hero, but he doubted they would if that hero was someone they already despised. And if he kept his identity a secret, they might accept him but only for what he does and not himself as a whole and the real Lloyd Garmadon will still be hated.

What difference will it make?

Still, Lloyd can't deny that the fame and adoration he'll receive as a ninja was very tempting. Perhaps being loved as a ninja may be a step up from being hated by everyone all the time. He also wanted his father gone from Ninjago just as much as everybody else. He can't have everything he wanted.

But to become a ninja…

Lloyd would've pondered more about the possibilities if he hadn't been claimed by sleep so quickly...

* * *

Karloff was on his way to work at one of the many engineering companies that help maintain Ninjago City's infrastructure, which worked harder than ever before no thanks to Lord Garmadon and his Shark Army's raids. Witnessing how terrible the warlord can be, he couldn't help but feel bad for Lloyd. The young boy had nothing to do with his father's evil ways but everyone just assumed he was the same. If he had time, he would follow Iris to school and give those teens and teachers a piece of his mind. Of course he knew about the boy's horrific social life through his niece, who accompanied him.

Iris wouldn't have minded riding the bus to school but Karloff kept insisting he'll drive her. After all, he always passed by Ninjago High on his way to work.

"Uncle, why can't you just let me take the bus?" The young schoolgirl complained while they were on their way to the school.

"The bus is too dangerous," Her uncle replied, "Every time I see it, it's always tilting so far to one side it gets slowed down and sparks literally fly. They really need to get that problem fixed."

The Russian girl rolled her eyes yet accepted her uncle's decision. So far, her life was going smoothly. It may not be completely perfect but life never is. Some teens were friends with her and others weren't so kind. Some classmates insulted her or thought she was weird because of the way she dressed. Even some girls thought she was giving their gender a bad name because she wasn't like those emotionally repressed and dress-hating 'strong female characters' that were all too common in today's movies.

So what if she's not a stereotypical badass?

There can only be one Iris Zvezda and this is who she is, whether everyone likes it or not.

"We're here." Karloff interrupted his niece's thoughts once they were in front of the school.

The school courtyard was already filled with the hustle and bustle of students chatting and socializing. Iris pecked her uncle on the cheek and hopped off the car, ready to start another day at Ninjago High.

"Have a nice day!" Karloff saw off his niece before driving off to work.

"Iris! _Guten Tag_!" Luna greeted the girly girl once she arrived at school.

Iris' violet eyes fell on her friend once she found her amidst the crowd of students.

Luna was a good-looking girl who distinguished herself with her long auburn hair tied in a ponytail in a white ribbon with a light blue gem. Her skin was pale but not to the point of appearing unhealthy and her hazel eyes that appeared golden in the morning light. Her outfit was a simple spaghetti strap dress in a very pale purple with white lace at the hem of her skirt and a matching cuff on her left wrist with a single white flower.

"Is there anything new going on at the music club?" Iris attempted to start a conversation with Luna.

"We're still deciding what kind of musical we'll do. We're still deciding between Phantom of the Opera or Les Misérables. Whatever they're doing, I definitely plan on getting a singing role." She answered.

"Anything else going on with your life?"

"Not really… I guess my life has been… uneventful..."

Iris couldn't help but wonder if Luna had any interests other than music and becoming an idol. It was all she ever seemed to talk about and even if she was already quiet outside of singing, she never spoke much of her family life or beyond her ambitions.

Was there something going on behind closed doors?

The school entrance suddenly went quiet and the duo turned to see the cause of the eerie silence.

It was Lloyd.

The outcast looked around shyly while everyone else glared at him.

Iris thought it was unfair for Lloyd to be treated just by who his father was. Everybody was their own person, as her uncle taught her. Everyone was unique, from Luna who dreamed of becoming an idol to the intelligent yet odd Zane. Iris herself was different from her uncle… and her parents… and it wasn't just because of her plethora of Sweet Lolita clothes. Of course she was teased or looked down on for being 'too girly' or didn't have the exact same tastes as everyone else but she kept doing what made her happy. She won't let other people's opinions take her down and she won't deny who she was. As harsh as it is, those people aren't worth her time.

"Iris, we're gonna be late." Luna dragged her friend into the building.

The girly girl sighed. Yet again, life goes on...

* * *

Kai and Nya shared PE class and not even their academic record was safe from their sibling rivalry.

The only swimming style Kai could ever pull off was the doggy paddle and he couldn't even do a good job. He kept splashing about in the school's swimming pool aimlessly. It was really kind of a sad sight.

"I've seen enough! Kai, you're out!" Even the coach couldn't stand to witness Kai's horrid attempt any longer and wanted him to stop.

"Give it up, bro," Nya teased her brother as he got out of the pool, "You'll never beat my record!"

Kai fumed on the bleachers. He was far from the greatest swimmer in Ninjago, a trait his sister _always_ took advantage of. Unlike her brother, Nya was inarguably the best swimmer in the history of Ninjago High. No one had ever beaten her record, a fact the competitive girl would boast about at every given opportunity. Her classmates cheered as she pulled off yet another stellar swim.

"Excellent job, Nya!" The coach commended her.

"You'll never beat that!" Nya flaunted her victory at Kai.

"Oh it's on!" The fiery teen let his temper get the best of him again and marched towards the pool…

Only to fall in and sink like a rock.

* * *

Although Nya hanged out with her brother and her male friends most of the time, she also had friends of the same gender she also liked to spend time with.

"Nya! Over here!" Aria and Heather called to her once she spotted them in the halls.

Aria was a free-spirited girl who never liked standing still for long. Her, short, messy, yet attractive dirty blonde locks were held in a red headband and her bluish-green eyes stood out against her olive skin. Like Nya, she too had a beauty mark but hers was below her left edge of her lips. Aria's clothes were a white strapless top, the ruffle at the top wrapped around her upper arms, and a short yellow-orange skirt with a sheer layer.

Heather, while being one of Nya's more level-headed friends, was just as idealistic. She kept her light brown locks in a bun but added a unique touch with a pink rose decoration. She also had freckles on the bridge of her nose that were still visible on her rosy skin. Heather's outfit consisted of a light teal short-sleeved blouse and a white skirt with a colorful flower pattern at the bottom.

They were each unique but Nya didn't mind because she was all for individuality. If some girls were as interested in martial arts and motorcycles as her, or were girly girls who prefer dresses and cosmetics, tomboys who were into sports and games, or somewhere in between, then that's fine by her. She had her own personal tastes and every single girl had theirs. Everyone was unique and she wasn't fond of the concept of shoving one's beliefs down other people's throats.

"So Aria, how did the journalism club go?" Nya asked, knowing how fickle her friend can be.

"Yeah… Well… It didn't turn out to be as interesting as I thought it would..." Aria answered sheepishly.

"Let me guess, you didn't like it and you dropped out." Nya deadpanned.

"H-how did you -"

"That's been going on for months. You've been joining and leaving clubs like a child going through all their Christmas presents." Heather answered with her English accent.

"Well nothing ever turns out the way I expect it! I can't help it! I'll never find what I want!" Aria raised her arms in frustration.

"Then what is it that you want?" Nya asked.

"I don't know..." The olive-skinned girl shrugged, "And that's the problem…"

"Maybe you should just focus on what you enjoy doing," Heather suggested, "I love flowers and that's why I work at Blossoming Memories."

"But does that give you any sense of fulfillment?" Aria asked.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Sure, you say you enjoy your job but do you ever think that's it? Is that all there is going for you?"

"To be honest, I've been having this feeling as of late… But it's not an excuse to just go up to my boss and go 'I feel empty so I quit.' You should try not to focus on so many things at once and perhaps what you want will become clear to you."

The friends' thoughts were interrupted by the last minute warning bell.

"We'll talk later," Nya said, "See ya after school."

The trio parted ways, not knowing their lives will be intertwined more than ever very soon…

* * *

School was over but some students stayed behind to work on various club activities and surprisingly, Lloyd was among those who found some after-school activities he enjoyed. In contrast to what some others might think, Lloyd's mind wasn't always wrapped up in his family issues. He had other interests, which was why he was one of the members of Ninjago High's auto club.

Much like how Jay felt at home with anything involving technology, Lloyd felt more comfortable when he was building things. Even when he was a little boy, he always loved playing with building blocks and toys that came in pieces so he can assemble them however he liked. He liked being in control while at the same time, had unlimited freedom to create what he wanted. There was always something about the concept of taking ideas only he could come up with and bringing them to life that fascinated him.

When it comes to a future job, Lloyd would like to have any occupation which would involve building things and analyzing structures, possibly becoming an architect or even an archaeologist.

Due to his affinity for inventing, Jay was also a member of the auto club, making him pretty much the only member who'd put up with him. Nya would've joined too but she claimed she preferred to be in full control over her creations.

"What's that?" Jay looked at some of Lloyd's drawings, most of them portraying dragons and ideas of making a vehicle or vessel shaped like one.

"It's a little pet project," He shrugged, "I always thought dragons were neat creatures. Too bad they're not real… Unless I can go and build one myself… I wonder how that'll turn out..."

The Parsa native observed his friend. Usually, Lloyd was as content as can be when he was working on his own projects at the auto club but he looked like his mind was elsewhere.

"You look like you have something on mind..." The blue-eyed teen spoke.

"I've been thinking about something my uncle told me a while ago..." Lloyd sighed.

"Oh yeah? What's it about?"

Lloyd knew his uncle would tell his friends anyway so there was no use in delaying the truth but it was still better to wait until all his friends were there to talk about being ninja…

"Actually, I think it'll be better when all of us are together. My uncle said he also wants to tell you guys the same thing."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"...Lloyd, your uncle's weird..."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

Heather was back at Blossoming Memories tending to the flowers. She thought back on her chat with Aria and Nya. Helping out at a flower shop isn't exactly the most riveting occupation but life wasn't all about fun and action. Still, she can't deny this feeling that something big will happen soon and it was somewhere out there waiting for her… and that there was also something lurking on the other side of the display window. Heather caught a strange face staring at the flowers and let out a horrified shriek, dropping the watering can in the process.

"Heather! Is something wrong!?" The florist rushed over to her aid.

"I-it's nothing! I w-was startled! That's all!" The schoolgirl rushed to clean up the mess.

The bell above the door jingled so Heather knew what startled her came into the shop. A young man who looked no older than her sauntered in. He looked just like a living life-sized doll, which only made him appear unsettling, which initially frightened her. But once Heather regained her composure, she recognized him since there was no other person… or thing... like him.

"Zane…? A-aren't you that robot -… W-why on Ninjago a-are you here!?" Heather stuttered.

"I happened to just wander by," Zane answered, "I am sorry for the trouble I have caused. Let me help you clean up."

The android grabbed some towels and helped wipe off the water. Heather was still unnerved by Zane's strange mannerisms and appearance but other than that, at least he seemed like a nice person.

"I wouldn't imagine someone like you would ever come here… Because you're a... robot..." The young employee stated awkwardly.

"I simply want to satiate my curiosity of how people live their lives. You humans are all so unique. This whole world is unique and I want to experience it." The android answered.

"But why here? I would've never imagined a robot having any interest in flowers."

"I was concerned when you were startled, but I too like to observe the gifts of Mother Nature. There are so many different flowers, just like there are so many different people..."

"Would you like to buy some flowers?"

"Maybe one can provide a welcome change of atmosphere at home, perhaps a lily."

Heather picked out a white lily and had fastened an ice blue ribbon on the stem. Since it was for Zane, she somehow felt that color was suitable for him.

"Thank you, Heather." The humanoid gracefully accepted the flower.

"Have a nice day." Heather didn't think much of it but that won't be the last time she'll see Zane...

* * *

Aria and Cole tagged along with Nya and Kai to eat out at Ninjago City's various restaurants. Because it was a huge city, there were many places to eat but they settled for some McRonald's burgers.

Hey, they're not health experts. Don't judge.

"Are you still looking for clubs?" Nya asked the only other girl in the group once they got their food.

"Nah," Aria sighed, "I see no point if I'm never gonna like them."

"How about the music club. To me, it's the only club that's worth it." Cole suggested.

"That's because you do nothing but listen to music," The olive-skinned girl scoffed, "I'm all for dancing but I don't think music club's for me."

"Why not? The other members are pretty cool once you get to know them."

"Cool?" Kai let out a bemused snort, "That Gene guy actually cried during the last play and he was the main character!"

"Really?" The capricious girl raised a quizzical brow, "I never thought you would be interested in that sort of stuff."

"No need to get all judgemental. I'm just saying." The older Hinata sibling shrugged.

"I wasn't judging anyone. I'm only concerned that I won't like the music club."

"Since when did you care about going around clubs and part-time jobs like a fly?"

Nya found her brother and friend's interactions amusing while Cole was already tuning them out with his perpetually loud music.

"Gotta hand it to ya," Cole turned to Nya, "Can't believe you're still alive having Kai for a brother and Aria as a friend."

"I have my ways."

* * *

Lloyd had his friends gathered at his apartment, hoping his uncle will be there to tell them about the concept of being ninja.

"It seems you've told them." Wu's voice caught the teens off guard.

"Don't do that. You sound like a creep." Lloyd said dryly once he found his uncle by the window.

"I'm an old man. Old men are always creepy." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Lloyd has summoned us to see you," Zane started, "He said you have something important to say."

"Correct," The bearded man nodded, "I sense you are all seeking something, even if you're not aware of it. You will find the answers… once you've become ninja."

The group mutely stared at Wu as if he was an alien from a bad monster flick… or a psychopath...

"So... you're expecting us to become a bunch of superheroes…?" Jay was confused.

"Yes. Garmadon must be stopped but he can't by just ordinary people."

"I think you got the wrong idea," Cole spoke up, "We're just a bunch of teenagers. We're not the right people to protect Ninjago. We don't have the strength or experience. Also, fighting Garmadon's gonna make Lloyd and his dad enemies."

"We're already enemies." Lloyd retorted bitterly.

"It doesn't always have to be that way," Wu said, "I didn't ask you to be a ninja solely to fight against your father. There is more to all of you than you realize and being a ninja may provide answers."

"So we get to be ninja?" Kai asked with an excited fire burning in his amber eyes.

"Cool! I'll be just like Lady Iron Dragon!" Nya was also ecstatic but others weren't so sure.

"I don't know..." Jay fiddled with his hands, "We don't have any experience in fighting and we're just a bunch of ordinary teenagers..."

"Our level of experience in the way of the ninja is zero." Zane added.

"Then I'll teach you the way of the ninja."

"Listen, I know being a ninja sounds cool and stuff but that's not who we are." Cole replied.

"You're all confused as to knowing who you really are. Being a ninja isn't all about winning every battle or being all-powerful and neither is life. It's time for you to find out more about life and yourselves but not yet. You can't be a team unless all of you can work together and can all agree on one decision. And only six of you may not be enough. Ninjago City is huge and you six may not be able to defend the city alone. You might need a couple more members to be truly able to protect Ninjago. Perhaps you know some others who are also finding themselves..."

The group pondered over the possibility of being a ninja and expanding the group.

It's unlikely there's other teens who may be interested in being a ninja… right…?

* * *

Iris and Karloff ate dinner while witnessing yet another sabotage of the news by Garmadon.

"I don't understand why everyone thinks Lloyd's just like his dad," Karloff started, "You've seen Lloyd and he's different from Garmadon, no?"

"Actually, I don't really know much about Lloyd. It's not fair for everyone to think he's like his dad but he might also be bad for different reasons..." Iris sighed.

"Go talk to him."

"W-what? If I go near him, everyone might hate me..."

"Who cares what others think? You'll never know what Lloyd's really like unless you go up to him. Do not be afraid to be the first person to give him a chance. Then he'll be able to prove everyone wrong about him and they'll start seeing the true Lloyd. You're a strong girl, Iris. You're never afraid of being who you are and that takes true strength. I know you can do it."

Iris knew her uncle was right. If just one person tried to understand Lloyd, maybe the whole world will then see the real Lloyd Garmadon.

Maybe that person will have to be her…

* * *

 **Yup! Lloyd & Iris will finally interact for the first time in the next chapter. Again, each original ninja/kunoichi pairing from the original story will have some sort of relationship but not all of them will be romantic. Now that the teens are introduced to the idea of being ninja, things might finally pick up. Review!**


	6. Shipping Hell

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Yet again, this chapter will just be the ninja & kunoichi interacting… before becoming ninja & kunoichi. I know it's tiring but I promise, things will actually pick up in the next chapter or two. **

**In this more lighthearted chapter, Lloyd & Iris will meet for the first time & the other girls will be introduced to Wu's plans of the Secret Ninja Force. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Shipping Hell

"Can I join you for lunch?"

No sooner had that question been asked did the entire cafeteria of Ninjago High fall silent. Students, teachers, and even the kitchen staff stared in disbelief at the person who said those shocking words.

But no one was as shocked as Lloyd himself.

Iris Zvezda, the strange girl wearing those overly cutesy dresses only seemed even stranger for asking to sit with Lloyd Garmadon, the most hated person in Ninjago next to his father. Even his small group of friends were shocked that someone other than them would want to accompany or even be close to Lloyd outside of the mandatory classes.

"Gasp." Zane was the first to say something, which happened to be everybody's exact sentiment.

"You do know who I am right?" Lloyd himself also stared at the schoolgirl like she had lost it.

"You're Lloyd Garmadon," Iris started, "But not Lord Garmadon."

That was the first time anyone other than Lloyd's friends said that.

The green-eyed teen still had no idea what to make of this girly girl who had no idea what she's getting herself into.

"Don't," He rejected her, "You wouldn't want me dragging you down..."

"My uncle told me that everybody is their own person, even you." Iris insisted on joining him. Before Lloyd could protest, she seated herself right next to him on the table that was empty save for him and his small group of friends.

"He's one to talk. He doesn't even know who I am..."

"Yet he still believes you're nothing like your father… How many people believe that?"

"Listen, I don't need anyone, especially you, throwing me a pity party. Just go away or you'll look even more like an idiot."

Iris was annoyed by Lloyd's attitude but told herself to have patience. Her violet eyes gave off a glint of light like a finely-crafted sword and her posture became rigid. She was not one to give up so easily and felt something go off within her, like a need to prove she was right.

"If you think that's gonna stop me, think again." She said, her voice firmer than before.

Lloyd was astonished by Iris' willpower.

He would've never thought someone like Iris would stand up for herself. Maybe there was more to her than that gaudy dress of hers… just like how he's more than his father's son…

"What makes you think I'm gonna let you hang out with me?" He grumbled yet made less effort to get her to leave.

"I also believe everyone is unique," Iris started, "Even your friends. They're not the same as everyone else or each other. No one is exactly as they appear and I think everyone should know that. You won't believe how many people think I'm nothing but a girly girl because of my fashion sense. I'm more than just the clothes I wear, just like how you may be more than just being Garmadon's son. If your friends can see that, then everyone can too if they take the chance. That's what I believe."

Lloyd's friends also listened to Iris, finding her speech similar to Wu's about them becoming ninja. In a way, there was more to them then even they believe. As the old man said, being a ninja might provide answers. Iris' words also reminded them of how they developed their bond with Lloyd. They saw him as someone more than his father's son too.

As for Lloyd, he was surprised to hear those words coming from another student of Ninjago High. One half of him told himself that Iris was only parroting her uncle but the other half wanted to believe she genuinely wanted to give him a chance. He was frustrated that he can't decide which half to listen to.

"Do you really mean what you just said?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm more than happy to give everyone a chance, even you." She answered, the sincerity clear in her voice.

Just then, the bell rang summoning the students back to their daily routine.

"Perhaps we can talk again?" Iris offered before leaving.

Lloyd was still unsure what to make of this girl who might be out of her mind. Besides, he'll probably never see her again.

"We'll see..." He shrugged before leaving the cafeteria and try to move on with his miserable life...

* * *

It was yet another morning at Ninjago High. Students were already buzzing about and the tilted school bus arrived. No sooner had Lloyd gotten off the bus did his friends block his way into the building.

"Lloyd! What are you doing here!?" Nya asked him like he already did something wrong.

"Living out my shitty life, what else?" The outcast already hated school so why was she so concerned?

"You should've called in sick!" Kai added, "You're not gonna like what's going on!"

"Are you hiding something?" Lloyd stared at his friends suspiciously.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you..." Cole said nervously, which alarmed the outcast.

Now Lloyd new something was wrong… VERY wrong… If the rock-solid Cole was unnerved in even the slightest, then shit has become real.

"What's going on?" Lloyd used all his strength to push his buff friend aside and open the doors...

"WHAT THE -!?"

Lloyd was aghast by the posters that's been going around school. There were pictures of Lloyd and Iris crudely pasted together and even cringe-worthy fanart of them strewn on every bulletin board.

"Good morning Ninjago High!" Ash, head of the journalism club greeted on the school TV's broadcast, "Yesterday, we have seen that yes, fairy tales _are_ real! The school cafeteria have witnessed a real-life Beauty and the Beast come alive!"

The screens switched to Lloyd's embarrassing school photo from last year, further defaced with badly drawn devil horns, unibrow, and pimples, next to Iris' untarnished school photo, both framed by a big heart like a kiss cam.

"Lloyd Garmadon..." Ash paused for the students to boo the pariah in unison, "...and Iris Zvezda were seen having their very first date during lunch yesterday. All the students are already wondering what will happen next. One thing's for certain though… We all hate to see their kids!"

Lloyd's friends surrounded him, who didn't trust his eerily calm expression.

"...Guys..." He muttered, causing them to flinch, "...What is the will to live and where can I get it?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Iris was just as thrilled as Lloyd over their lunch together being blown out of proportion. Even in the classroom, her friends harassing her with all sorts of questions about this so-called 'date' didn't help at all.

"What do you see in him?"

"Did he tell you any of his dark secrets?"

"So when's the next date?"

"SHUT UP!"

The classroom was silenced by Iris' outburst.

"It was lunch with him, not a date! Why does every interaction between a boy and a girl always have to be seen as romantic!?" The violet-eyed girl shouted in frustration.

'Uncle's gonna get an earful once school's over...' Iris glowered. Really, she loved her uncle but it was still his fault for causing this whole mess in the first place.

"Okay, class. Settle down," The history teacher beckoned her students, "You have plenty of time later to ask Iris about her date but we still have class."

Iris groaned and sunk into her seat.

This is gonna be a long day…

* * *

Nya found time to hang out with Aria and Heather again between classes. Remembering what Wu told her, she started to feel that perhaps they should also know about the Secret Ninja Force, even if it was best to leave Lloyd alone for at least five months.

"You know, I met Lloyd's uncle the other day and he said something that might interest you." Nya said.

"Really? What's it about?" The ever impulsive Aria became curious.

"He claims he's forming this top secret ninja team. He says the guys and I need to 'find ourselves' and that he'll need some more members. Maybe you'll be interested."

'Find ourselves...' Aria and Heather felt those words strike a chord within them.

Aria always wanted to find her life's calling and Heather's been wondering if there was more for her to do than watering flowers but being a ninja was the last thing they had in mind. They knew about the recent Warring Era and that there were just as many women as men fighting for Ninjago, including the famous Lady Iron Dragon. But they were just high school students, not warriors. They don't even know a single thing about martial arts.

"But why are you telling us this?" Heather asked.

"You two have been going on about some bigger purpose. I'm all for being a ninja but I'd like to know what you think."

"Being a ninja sounds cool!" The flighty Aria answered first, "Maybe it'll be like those movies and we'll be able to make clones of ourselves and disappear in a puff of smoke!"

Nya and Aria turned to Heather for her answer, which she finally revealed after much hesitation.

"I must admit, the thought of doing something extraordinary seems to call out to me… I do want to be part of this Secret Ninja Force…" She said.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Nya questioned her more hesitant friend.

"N-Nothing. It might be better to think about this just a little bit longer..."

Aria gave her friend an annoyed look while Nya gave an expression of understanding.

"I understand how you feel," She said, "But maybe we'll have to see Wu and listen to what he'll say..."

"Fine..." Her friends relented before heading off to their next class.

Becoming a ninja… The possibilities enthralled Heather and Aria… And part of them hoped they'll get to be ninja and find their place...

* * *

Cole and Luna were back in the music club, helping the members figure out their next big project.

"Les Misérables seems like a good choice but our last production was A Midsummer Night's Dream. I know it sounds tempting but Marius and Eponine's relationship might be a little too similar to Romeo and Juliet for some. We don't want to become repetitive." Nelson, leader of the music club, discussed the members' suggestions for the future.

As usual, Cole was more interested in the music itself rather than the club's projects. As for Luna, she was engrossed by their conversation, hoping to do her part. Just like before, the topic ended without a final decision. The music-loving girl was disappointed but bore with it. There's still time for her to take another step closer to becoming an idol.

"So what do you wanna do now?" Cole asked her once everyone else returned to their business.

"How about practicing singing some more." Luna recommended.

"We've already did that last time," He declined for once, "There's other ways to kill time."

Cole's thoughts drifted back to Wu's proposal to be a ninja and his friends. He wasn't exactly thrilled to be a ninja but the old man and even Iris was right. There may be more to him than his love for music. He didn't think much of it at first but even with his inexperience as a fighter, he thought being a ninja could be interesting. Still, making such a huge decision just for some quick thrills will be unwise.

"Since it's a nice day outside, maybe we can spend some time together…?" Luna suggested.

"I have other plans. I'm gonna hang out with my friends at the northern parts of the city but you can come too if you want." Cole replied to his fellow music-loving teen.

"I think I have time..."

"Cool."

* * *

"I'm home!" Luna greeted her mother and her pet German Shepherd Lorelei once she returned from school. As usual, her father was busy at work and won't come home until late at night.

"How was music club?" Her mother asked.

"Same as usual..." Luna answered, "I'm still looking for a singing role in our next production."

"Oh. Well keep doing your best, okay?"

Luna went off to her room, which was filled with goods of various idols, from her favorite idol, N-Pop Girl, to the new idol unit, Ladies' Generation. She often fantasized what it would be like to be just like them, to have her voice loved by everyone in Ninjago. She didn't have much concern for fame because she pursued her dreams because of her genuine love for music. However, there were times she wasn't wholly content. Singing seemed to be the only thing she's good at that sometimes made her feel like she's fallen behind compared to her peers.

'It's all I'm ever good at...' Luna reflected on her talent… or lack thereof, 'I really want to be an idol but if I can't reach it… what else is there for me…?'

The auburn-haired girl felt a slight sense of fear welling up in her heart and shook them off. She won't be able to do anything if her mind dwells on these thoughts…

What was she scared of?

Was it a self-conscious fear that she really can't do anything else or a narrow-minded fear of treading into paths unknown to her?

Maybe going outside can clear her mind...

"Mom, I'm gonna go hang out with some friends for a while." Luna said as she got ready to leave while she went to get Lorelei's leash so the German Shepherd can come along. Walking her dog was one of the few joys she had outside of singing.

"Stay safe, Luna."

"I will, Mom."

* * *

Luna and Lorelei caught up with Cole along with Jay and Zane, the latter holding onto a box, near the shopping districts of northern Ninjago City.

"Who's she?" Jay gestured at the only girl in the group once she joined.

"This is Luna," Cole introduced the aspiring idol to his friends, "She's a member of the music club and I invited her."

Upon noticing Lorelei, the timid Jay flinched like he always does.

"D-does your dog bite…?"

"Of course not!" Luna answered like the scarfed boy insulted her mother, "Lorelei's a sweet girl! She'd never bite anyone!"

"Your dog's level of hostility is at two percent. An attack is unlikely." Zane analyzed the critter.

Luna had seen Jay and Zane in the halls of Ninjago High before. She understood Jay's shy disposition, also being a timid girl herself. As for Zane… he always looked and acted a bit off but she chose not to judge so quickly… Maybe he won't be so bad.

"So... what do you wanna do today?" Jay looked at his friends for suggestions once things with Lorelei were cleared up.

"Whatever you want," Cole shrugged, "Anything's fine by me."

"How about visiting the park?" Luna recommended, "It's always peaceful there."

"Sure thing." Her fellow music club member accepted her suggestion and the group went off towards their destination. On the way, they tried to strike up a conversation.

"What is music club like?" Zane asked.

"It's really nice," Luna began, "The members are so kind and helpful and we always stick together like one big family. Also, preparing for the musicals and plays are fun. There's lots of singing and dancing, even when there's no big projects being done."

"Did you perform before?" Jay asked shyly.

"Of course. I can sing something now if you want." She offered.

"I would also like to hear you sing." Zane said.

Luna started singing several verses from N-Pop Girls' newest hit, Sparkle Sparkle Shine, and proved to have a natural gift in music. She poured all her emotions into her voice, which was as cute and light as the most popular idols today. Her singing even attracted a small crowd of citizens who applauded her once she finished.

"Cole's a wonderful person to have around. He's always helping out at the club and always knows just what to say to make me feel more confident. He's really amazing..."

Cole merely rolled his eyes at Luna's compliments and the way she blushed while describing him. He was just being the way he is and there's nothing special about that.

Jay felt both admiration and envy towards Cole while listening to Luna talk about him. Much like how Nya was confident and he wasn't, Cole was also everything he was not. He was cool, strong, and much better-looking than the freckle-faced nerd. Jay wanted to learn how to be as cool and confident from him but at the same time... he wanted to take all that away from him.

'W-what am I thinking…?' The blue-eyed teen was surprised by his own emotions.

This wasn't the first time he felt jealousy but this was the first time he felt it towards his own friends. Then again, this small group were the only friends he ever had in his whole lifetime…

A strange growling sound caught the teens' attention and it wasn't coming from Lorelei. They turned to its source: Cole's stomach.

"What?" He raised a bushy eyebrow, "Isn't it part of human nature to get hungry?"

"I prepared some sandwiches if the event any of you develop a need for sustenance transpires." Zane finally opened the package, which was filled with homemade fruit sandwiches.

"Yum!" Luna and Jay gushed over the robot's amazing cooking like children with candy. The quiet Cole didn't say anything but it was obvious he shared their sentiment since he ended up eating most of the sandwiches. The fresh strawberries, kiwi, and oranges' tangy sweetness was contrasted by the mellow whipped cream, the flavors complementing one another. The humanoid was simply pleased to see his friends enjoy his cooking.

"These are the best sandwiches I ever had!" Jay gushed, "Zane! You're the best cook ever!"

"You could become a chef!" Luna also complimented the android's culinary gift.

Cole only muttered a quick 'mmhmm' to show that he agreed.

"Cole..." Zane started, "...May I ask why you are leaning on my shoulder?"

Cole noticed that he was leaning on the android, having his arm propped up on his shoulder. Even Jay and Luna were aware he was doing it the whole time but didn't say anything due to their timid nature.

"Sorry… Sometimes I forget that you're not just a robot..." The buff teen apologized.

Hearing the strong Cole say that out loud made Zane feel… overjoyed… for reasons he can't find in his emotion database. However, all that mattered was that Cole considered him to be more than the cold unfeeling robot everyone else assumes he is… And he wanted to keep having this feeling.

"I do not mind at all. Please do not refrain." The humanoid insisted.

"Have any of you decided to join the Secret Ninja Force?" Jay tried to initiate a conversation.

Cole looked at the him like he was dressed in just his underwear while Zane remained naive.

"What?" The blue-eyed boy shook in his scarf, knowing he must've said something inappropriate.

"Please tell me he did not just say that." The dark-skinned teen groaned.

"He did not just say that." His robot friend parroted.

"Sarcasm is a foreign language to you, isn't it?"

Jay finally realized he just blurted out his friends' huge secret right in front of Luna, who had nothing to do with the Secret Ninja Force. The poor guy was beyond mortified. If he can't keep a secret, then no one would want to hang out with him.

"Guess there's no hiding it," Cole sighed, "Nice going, Jay."

The scarfed boy shrunk away from the stronger teen's disapproving glance.

"You know about Lloyd Garmadon, right?" He asked Luna.

"Yeah…?"

"His uncle Wu told us about his plan to create a team of ninja to stop Lord Garmadon. He also wanted us to join because he claims we need to 'find ourselves' but also said we might need more members. I personally don't see the point. No one would be interested except Kai and Nya."

"What does he mean in 'finding yourselves'?"

"He says there's more to us than we believe. Again, I don't believe in that crap."

'Finding myself.' Luna's mind started to revolve around those words. She didn't put much thought into her future or even herself besides music.

Maybe she too could join and find something else she's good at?

Luna doubted it. As far as she's concerned, she was just an ordinary girl and that's all she'll be...

* * *

"Lloyd..." Koko gently knocked on the door of Lloyd's room, "Please, come out… It's not healthy to stay cooped up in your room forever… I'm sure everyone would forget about the incident eventually..."

Lloyd was beyond humiliated. Even during the weekend, he locked himself away from public. He gazed at his phone that was filled with messages from his friends, mostly from the overprotective Kai. None of them remedied his sour mood. Then his ringtone went off and Lloyd instinctively answered.

"Lloyd!" It was Kai, "You haven't talked in days!"

"Why wouldn't I?" He grumbled, "My school life is over. I just want to stay in my room until I die."

"Don't be like that. Tell you what. I'll come over to your place and I'll treat you to something nice."

"I don't -"

"Too late! I'm already on my way!"

The outcast sighed bitterly. Kai was a really good friend but if only he could stop and think more often. Even worse, after the fiery teen arrived, Koko insisted for him to leave the apartment.

"Have fun and stay safe!" Koko waved before Kai dragged her son for a day out in the city, the very last thing he wanted.

"You know what you need?" Kai started once they were out in public.

"Something heavy to smash my head open with..." Lloyd answered sardonically.

"The best sushi of Ninjago City!" The hothead ignored his friend's dark remark and took him deep into the heart of the city.

Lloyd pulled the edge of his hoodie over his face, hoping he won't be recognized. Most of the gossip in school usually spread to the city, including the incident with Iris. He was already hated not just in the school but all over the city and everyone knew who he was by his telltale green eyes and fangs. Every time he went out, he put on his hood to shield himself from everyone's judgemental remarks, even if it didn't help any. Once Kai dragged him into the restaurant, he bumped into someone.

"S-sorry..." He muttered until he got a good look at their face, which belonged to the very last person he wanted to see.

"...Iris…?"

* * *

 **Seriously, there's nothing romantic between Lloyd & Iris here. The school's reaction is actually my personal jab at how cringy many fandoms (including Ninjago) get when it comes to shipping & jump to conclusions. Some fans need to stop seeing everything through shipping goggles. As always, I'll see you soon & review!**


	7. Who Am I

**Discovering Destiny**

 **We're almost there guys! The ninja are just about ready to become a team! First, Lloyd & Iris have to clear up some things, Iris will learn of the ninja, & we'll really get to know movie!Karloff. Plus, we'll explore some more ninja family lives & what it could mean for the ninja's decision. Now get ready cuz the plot's gonna really start kicking off!**

* * *

Chapter 6: Who Am I

Lloyd's day just kept getting better and better.

Kai dragged him out in public right after his most embarrassing school moment hit a new record. Even worse, he ended up coming face to face with the one who started it all.

"...Iris…?"

The strange girl happened to be in the very same sushi restaurant. She too concealed her face under a wide-brimmed hat but there was no mistaking those deep violet eyes. Iris seemed to feel the same as Lloyd by the way she pulled the brim of her hat over her face like the outcast always did with his hood.

"You!" Kai stomped towards her, flames of wrath burning in his eyes.

Iris winced under the fiery teen's accusing glare.

"You were leading him on the whole time!" The hothead accused her.

"W-what are you t-talking about?" She stammered but held her ground.

"Don't pull that crap! I saw you yesterday sinking your claws into him like the lying little bitch you are!"

"I was only trying to open up to him!"

"You're nothing but one of those manipulative bitches who just wanna mess with his feelings!"

"I wasn't! I don't even have those sort of feelings for Lloyd!"

"Are you saying he'll never get a girlfriend!?"

"What does that have to do with anything!?"

"Kai! Just drop it!" Lloyd grabbed his friend's arm. The last thing he wanted was more attention. Every last person in the restaurant were already staring at him and Kai and Iris arguing.

"Is this the Lloyd Garmadon those kids from school are always talking about?" A husky guttural voice with a thick Russian accent joined in on the teens' argument, grabbing their attention.

Lloyd and Kai gulped at the sight of the man the voice belonged to. His expression was austere and he was more taller and muscular than Cole. He looked like he could rip their arms off with zero effort.

"Uncle!" Iris was surprised by the imposing man's presence yet showed no signs of fear.

"UNCLE!?" Kai and Lloyd were flabbergasted that these two very different people were related.

"This is my uncle Karloff. I know he doesn't look like it but once you get to know him, he's a big softie." Iris introduced him to Lloyd and Kai.

"Is something wrong?" Karloff noticed how the teens merely gawked at him and Iris.

"Wrong? Look at you! You're all tiny and dainty! There's no way you're related to that huge brute!" Kai pointed at the pair who were as different as night and day.

The Russian relatives looked like they saw a ghost… until Karloff burst into laughter.

"You won't believe how many times people have said that to us!" The big guy chuckled, "I'm actually glad to finally meet you in person. You look like a fine young man, just like every other teenage boy."

"Try telling them that..." Lloyd grumbled.

"Is there anything you and Iris talked about back then?" Karloff asked.

"Not much… I told him a little about you and the beliefs you taught me." Iris answered.

"Lloyd, did she tell you anything?"

"She just went on about how you claim everyone's different," He shrugged, "Also, she said something about you not thinking I'm the same as my dad..."

"Iris is right. I do believe you're not the same as your father. You thought Iris and I weren't related just by the way we look. That's something those teens who bully you need to see. Clearly, you're different from your father."

"No. You're just going about our looks."

"It's not just that. Everyone has their own personalities and thoughts. You're dad… Well, everyone in Ninjago knows what he wants… and what about you? What do you enjoy and what plans do you have for your future? What those bullies say aren't true because they're not you and they don't know the real you."

"It's not just school… Every single person in the city, even the adults, hate me..."

"That's not true. You have your friends, right? And what about your mother?"

"I guess they're nice to have… but they can't take away the fact everyone else doesn't..."

"Have you ever learned to never take what you already have for granted?"

"I don't have much..."

"Sure you do. Even if it's not much, you're lucky to have some friends who are always hanging out with you. And your mother, she must've done so much for you, the son of Garmadon, when she might've also faced prejudice for marrying the dark lord."

"And she failed..."

"Don't be so quick to dismiss her. You do have a lot of great things in your life. It's never easy to see it with the naked eye. Be thankful for every good thing in your life, no matter how small they are."

"I guess my friends still have my back..."

"See? You're more than what those bullies say you are. Don't let them win by letting everything they say and do get to you. Sometimes, you just have to accept that life has its downsides. That is all part of the full experience of life."

"Funny… My own uncle said something very similar a while back..."

"You should listen to him. Be who you really are and show those bullies who's boss. It's completely up to you to decide if you're your own person or merely the son of Garmadon."

Lloyd was a little taken aback by Karloff's advice. He would've never thought that someone besides his friends and family would say such things to him. He also thought back on Wu's proposal to be a ninja. The idea of being a ninja seemed to resonate with everything they've told him. He was still unsure of who he truly was deep down. Wu said being a ninja could help him but how?

There was only one way to find out… and even he wasn't sure if he'll go down that path...

* * *

Dr. Julien's apartment was filled with the heavenly scent of piping hot cream stew. On the dining table was the lily Heather gave to Zane, which continued to thrive in the android's abode. Zane took diligent care of it, enjoying watching it blossom and grow… much like humans do…

"Delicious!" The old man complemented, "Zane, you truly are a gifted young man."

"Thank you… Father..."

Zane liked to make pleasant conversation with his father at dinnertime. Not only did he keep his father going with the food he makes but he wanted to know more about himself. He wondered why he made a son rather than getting married. Wu said there was more to him than even he knows and he wanted to believe that was true. He wanted to be seen beyond his origins but first, he needed to know more about himself.

"Father, may I ask why I was built?" The robot uttered a question he asked time and again.

Dr. Julien looked at his inorganic son for a few moments before he finally answered.

"When I built you, I also programmed you to protect those who can't protect themselves." He began.

"Even from Garmadon?"

"In a way… yes… But that's not all you are… I could've also programmed you to know much more, but where's the beauty in that? You can't really learn or grow if you were able to know and do absolutely everything. Everyone learns from mistakes. I want you to truly experience life and everything it has to offer, both good and bad. To truly grow up and learn… that's what makes you a person. Even after I've programmed you to protect others, that's not your true purpose in life. That is for you to decide, not me. That's what really makes you a person no different than humans."

"Can a robot really be a… 'person'…?"

"Yes… that's what I believe… You're making your own experiences and learning new things everyday. That's what makes you a person. Zane, you are unique. Everyone is unique. That's what already makes you the same as them, no matter if you're man or machine."

Zane wanted to believe his father. He wanted to do more than just coexisting with humans. He wanted to also know more about himself, what sets him apart from humans, even if he was one of them. Wu's proposal to be a ninja might just provide the answers...

* * *

Cole sometimes wished he could stay with the music club forever. He gazed at the mansion built in the wealthier districts of Ninjago City… his home…

But to him, no matter how big or comfortable it is, that place wasn't truly home if it meant having to deal with his father everyday. Sighing in defeat, he let himself in, knowing what he'll get himself into.

"Cole, where have you been?" Lou asked in a demanding tone rather than one of concern, "And stop carrying that radio. It's bad for you posture if you want to become a quartet dancer. Oh, and lower the volume. I don't want our house to be plagued by that vulgar racket."

'It's rock, not racket...' Cole mentally retorted, knowing he'll never convince his father otherwise.

"Hurry up and change into something more suitable for dinner." Lou ordered before shooing him off.

Cole didn't bother to roll his eyes, believing they'll fall out after doing it so much from dealing with his snobbish father.

Earthy green eyes moved towards the collection of photos on one of the tables and in most of them, there was a woman whose face never appeared in Cole's memories.

Gaia Charbonneau…

His own mother was something of an enigma to him. He knew nothing about her and his father never wanted to talk about her despite never looking happier than he did in the photos of them together. He doubted his father was ever truly happy, not only because of her death but because the resemblance between him and his mother couldn't be more obvious. From all the pictures Lou had of her, Gaia had very dark skin, green eyes with hints of brown, and long black hair that fell in thick voluminous curls, looking like the goddess whom she shares her name with. She looked just him or more accurately, he looked just like his mother, except for the thick bushy eyebrows he and his father shared.

Cole didn't believe his father resented him just for looking like his dead wife. When he was little, Lou pressured him to follow in his footsteps as a quartet dancer. As much as he liked all kinds of music, he had absolutely no interest in dancing the way his father does, which he never accepted. Even outside of music, Lou never stopped berating his son for dressing up like an 'unsophisticated lowlife' and often scolded him for being too different. The teen also held a strong distaste for the way his father judged everyone, not just him. Lou always looked down on anyone who didn't have to privilege to indulge in the obnoxious bourgeois fancies he already tried enforcing on his son and can't seem to comprehend the fact that nobody will be the exact same as him.

'What's so bad about being me?' Cole thought bitterly, 'It's no use trying to be something I'll never be. Maybe I'll be a ninja… Then I'll have to freedom to just be who I am…'

Cole ignored his father's previous demand and kept his radio loud in his room. Even then, a question lingered in the deepest corners of his mind…

'...But without music… who am I…?'

* * *

Lloyd struggled to survive yet another stress-filled day at school. The bullying from Chen and the other teens never stopped, which wasn't surprising, but the creepy shippers just wouldn't let up. Since they were expecting him and Iris to have a 'second date' at the cafeteria, he opted to eat outside. The small rooftop was usually empty until after school, making it the perfect sanctuary.

But Fate apparently has one sick sense of humor.

Iris was already there.

"Lloyd…! I-I didn't expect to see you here!" The girl jumped upon seeing Lloyd.

"I could ask you the same." He retorted.

"No one comes here very often… I think... we'll be safe here..."

The two were accompanied by an awkward silence until it was ironically broken by Iris.

"...Mind if we start over…?" She offered.

"I don't know," The outcast sighed, "I can't forget what happened back there and someone might see us again..."

"We could meet in secret," Iris suggested again, "We could meet outside of school..."

"Why are you trying to be nice to me? What do you think you're getting out of it?"

"Nothing, really. I think it's only fair to start anew. Everything my uncle and I said were true. We would like to open up... but what happened back there was a disaster… At least no one's here to judge us..."

"Yeah..."

Lloyd and Iris ate silently, feeling safe for once. Here, there was no one to judge and assume anything. As they ate, the outcast started to notice something about her wardrobe which had nothing to do with overly cutesy lace and frills.

"It's funny I haven't noticed until now," Lloyd started, "What's up with that necklace?"

Violet eyes shifted to crystal heart pendant hanging from her neck.

"It's something I had since I was very little..." She fiddled with the pendant, "It reminds me of my life before coming here..."

"Also, why do you live with your uncle? Don't you have your own parents?"

Lloyd noticed the way Iris suddenly fell silent and looked like someone told her her puppy died.

"It's not something I like to talk about..." She murmured, sounding like she's holding something back.

The outcast was puzzled by Iris' sudden sullenness. Maybe something was also going on between her and her parents… much like himself and his father… It also reminded him of Wu's plans...

"You know... I've been thinking about what your uncle said the other day. It reminded me of what my uncle really meant to talk about..."

"About what…?"

Lloyd knew his uncle may have wanted him to but he wasn't too keen on telling someone, especially a girl he just met, about the Secret Ninja Force. Then again, if Iris was willing to give him a chance even when she hardly knew him. There was something about her that made him think she should know.

"Iris… promise me you'll keep this secret better than I have..."

"What is it?"

"My uncle thinks my friends and I should become a team of ninja to stop my own dad…"

"Why you of all people? There's plenty of people who're more capable… no offense..."

"I know. I'm still confused. My uncle told me I have to find myself. I actually want to be a ninja but at the same time, I'm not sure if I'm the right guy. The glory and not having to be hated all the time… it's really tempting… but I also want to know who I really am. I want to believe I'm more than Garmadon's son… yet I don't know if I should..."

"Then what's stopping you? If you really want it, then why aren't you taking the chance?"

"I… don't know… Also, he said my friends and I won't be enough… we might need new members… But that's not all… Do you think there's also more to yourself than you believe…?"

The violet-eyed girl found the idea of being a ninja interesting.

But is that who she was?

She never thought much of it at first but the idea of finding herself… She didn't really have any plans for her future or what she'll do beyond what she enjoyed and finding her place in this world.

Was this all she is? A girl wearing only cutesy outfits living with her uncle?

If she joins the Secret Ninja Force, she'll also know more about herself… but that will mean having to learn the way of the ninja and directly fight against Garmadon…

Is that what she was destined for and is that even who she is?

"I guess there's a part of myself I don't know is there… I think I should see your uncle about this..."

"He said for us to meet at the old warehouse at the docks. I think he's had enough of waiting."

"What time will he be there?"

"My uncle has his way of being needlessly cryptic but he said he'll be there this weekend… You're not thinking about joining are you…?"

"I'm considering the possibility… but I'd like to learn more from him first..."

"I… understand..." Lloyd remained unsure of the idea of Iris joining the team… but not as much as he himself will accept the offer to be a ninja…

* * *

Later that night, Iris remained awake in bed, tossing and turning.

Being a ninja would be extraordinary but that's not all. She could discover more about herself, which she was actually more concerned with.

She had a penchant for Sweet Lolita fashion and shared her uncle's beliefs but is there more to her?

Without those, what kind of person is she? Will she be a capable kunoichi?

...Or end up being no better than… them...

"Iris, is something wrong?" Karloff knocked on her door.

"Come in." She beckoned him in. The burly man came inside and sat by his niece.

"I could hear you having trouble sleeping. Tell me what's wrong."

"Uncle… what kind of person do you think I'll be…?"

"Unfortunately, I can't answer that question… That answer will be clear one day… but to you and only you… Everyone has to figure out who they are themselves..."

"Did you?"

"Yes, it took me years but I eventually found myself, and I have faith that you will too."

"But what if I'm not who I think I am? What if I didn't like the things I like or you never taught me what you believed in? What if I'm actually like _them_?"

"You'll never turn out like that. No matter what you like or what you believe, who you are deep inside will never change. Deep down, you'll always be you."

"How would you feel if I do something very different? Something I've never done before?"

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"I don't know… It's just a thought that came up recently..." Iris hated lying to her uncle but she wanted to keep Lloyd's promise.

"Whatever it is that you do, no matter the experience, you'll forever be the Iris Zvezda I've known ever since she was just a baby. As long as it's something you truly want and it might help you discover who you really are, then I'll support you, no matter what."

Iris embraced her uncle, reassured by his kind words.

However, they still didn't make deciding on joining the Secret Ninja Force any easier...

* * *

Lloyd's friends, Iris, and everyone else who were told of Wu's secret plan met at the warehouse near the docks of the city, where the old man claimed he'll appear. The new 'recruits' were surprised to see one another but everyone had been through the same thing over the last several days.

"Luna!" Iris was surprised to see her friend in the group, "I-I never thought you'd be here too!"

"I am too," Luna responded, "I've done some thinking since I was told of the Secret Ninja Force. I want to know if there's something else I can do besides singing."

"Zane…! You're here too?" Heather was also astonished seeing the android again.

"I have been told days before... and it is an honor to meet you again." Zane greeted her as politely as he had done the first time they met.

"So Aria," Nya approached her blonde friend, "Did you think some more about being a kunoichi?"

"Yeah… Though it's been giving me headaches," Aria answered, "There's so much questions to ask."

The teens have all been asking the same questions for quite some time.

Will the glory and power be fulfilling or will there still be unanswered questions?

And will they be able to defeat Garmadon?

And who were they?

"Hello, young ones." An elderly voice echoed from the entrance of the warehouse.

The teens jumped and saw that Wu arrived just as he said he would.

"Uncle Wu! Stop doing that!" Lloyd said in annoyance.

"Let me guess… you were told about Secret Ninja Force..." Wu inspected the girls who weren't there during the first gathering, ignoring his nephew's indignation.

"Yes, but I have a question..." Iris started.

"Go on."

"Why did you decide a bunch of teens will defeat Garmadon? I get that finding out about ourselves is important but what will that have to do with being ninja?"

"Being a ninja is more than fighting battles and defeating enemies. Much like how the ninja hide in the shadows, your true selves are hidden deep inside each and every one of you. You will find what lurks beyond the naked eye as a ninja and unearth the truth about yourselves."

"And you told us we need time to make our decision but why bring us here now?" Nya added.

"You've all been wasting time just interacting with one another and we have to get to the next part of the story unless we already want to lose viewers." The sage deadpanned.

"Viewers…?" Jay tilted his head in confusion.

"That's of little concern," Wu dismissed the shy boy, "I already gave you time to consider your choices. Which will you choose?"

The teens looked at one another, not sure if they're decision was unanimous. They all pondered over the idea of being ninja and the ups and downs that'll come with it. Some were tempted while others weren't completely on board.

Lloyd observed his friends' emotions. Kai and Nya had an excited spark in their eyes like they did when they were first told of Wu's plan. Aria, Heather, and Zane had an expression of intrigue, Cole remained nonchalant (as always), and Jay looked like a new kid wanting to play with the other children but was held back by uncertainty. Luna quivered, both in anticipation and anxiety, while Iris looked like she had more questions to ask.

Lloyd wasn't faring much better himself. He was lured by the admiration being a ninja could give him and he'll discover more about himself, the true Lloyd who wasn't defined by his father. But then again, he'll also have to fight Garmadon. There was already no hope for him to reconnect with his father, or that's what he told himself. Then again, as a ninja, he could get close to Garmadon and find answers to so many questions.

"Have you decided?" Wu asked.

Lloyd finally came to a decision.

He made his choice not just for Ninjago and his father but also himself.

There's no going back…

* * *

 **Really, this isn't a cliffhanger. We all know what he's gonna say.**

 **Now, we're gonna see some real action & an actual plot, plus Garmadon might make his true debut in the next chapter (or when the next ice age begins). Review!**


	8. Secret Ninja Force

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Finally! This is the moment we've all been waiting for! The team may finally come to fruition! Plus, we'll finally get to see Garmadon in person! But this is all just the beginning of this crazy ride! Now sit back and read on!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Secret Ninja Force

Lloyd came to his final decision on whether or not he'll become a ninja.

He needed to know who he was and find answers to the questions he's been asking himself for a long time, which was what he really wanted more than anything.

"I'll do it," He stepped forward, "I'll become a ninja."

The teens were surprised by Lloyd's answer.

"Is being a ninja what you really want?" Wu asked to make sure his nephew was sincere.

"I'm sick of being constantly hated all the time… but that's not all..." He began, "I also have questions only my father knows the answers to... and being a ninja might be the only way to find them..."

"What questions do you have?"

"I… I want to know if my father knows about me. I also want to know why he didn't do anything when my mother left him and separated us and what he thinks he'll get out of conquering Ninjago."

"So you do care for him..." Wu calmly observed.

"N-no…! I'm just seeking closure…!" Lloyd argued back a little _too_ quickly...

"Then what will that closure do for you?"

"It… It's just so I won't have to keep wondering anymore. I need to know who I really am… and there's something about my father I feel I should know… Right now, being a ninja is the only way I can get the answers I've been seeking..."

"Then are you willing to face the challenges of being a ninja if they'll bring you closer to the truth?"

"Yes." Lloyd saw himself as an already hardened young man. If he managed to survive years of horrible treatment by anyone other than his family and small handful of friends, then he can survive anything.

Wu looked at his nephew in an almost critical manner. He still had so much to learn while at the same time, there are a lot of challenges he must face alone.

'He'll have to learn eventually...' The old man told himself before moving on.

"What are the rest of your answers?" He asked the other teens for their decisions.

"I'm joining too!" Kai was quick to take the helm, "I've always wanted to be just like those warriors my parents often told me about!

"And I'll restore the glory Lady Iron Dragon brought to Ninjago!" Nya added, "I'll be the best kunoichi Ninjago has ever seen!"

"Will you? The path to becoming a ninja is one filled with hardship and turmoil, not from the enemies alone, but also within yourselves. You will discover something deep inside you never knew was there before. You must also embark on the journey that is self-discovery if you really want to be a ninja. Do you think you have the will to take the first step?"

The siblings looked to each other for answers. Their parents told them that they trained often and had to go through unimaginable trials to become the respected warriors they were back in the day.

Can they succeed their parents and do they have what it takes to be ninja?

And will they have their own identities beyond being ninja?

"Wu, we're aware that being a ninja will be a challenge, but please give us a chance to prove ourselves worthy," Kai asked, "We plan to uphold the way of the ninja for as long as we live."

The Hinata siblings seemed to possess little patience and an excessive need to be what they define as 'strong'. Becoming a ninja might be what they'll need to maintain the balance and inner peace. They don't seem like it now but they had potential and will be definitely play an integral part in the Secret Ninja Force.

"Anyone else?" The old man inspected the remaining candidates.

"I still don't know much about what we'll get ourselves into..." Heather started, "And I don't know if I'll make a good kunoichi… whether or not that will pass, I just want answers..."

"Me too," Aria joined in, "I may not know much about being a kunoichi either but if it will help me at least find that missing part of me I've been looking for, I'll give it a shot."

Nya gave her friends a reassuring glance. She had known them for quite some time. Heather was more steadfast than she seemed and Aria, as flighty as she may be, was more clever than even she believed. Meanwhile, Kai felt slightly annoyed by them joining. It wasn't that he had anything against girls. Nya may know much about them while he didn't. He preferred to form a team only with people he knew well. Only time will tell if he'll see more than what little he knew of them and view them as equals...

"Heather, what solution do you seek? And Aria, what do _you_ think that missing piece is?" Wu asked.

The two newcomers saw in each other's eyes that what they wanted was the same thing.

"I… I'm not sure how to put this into words but… lately, I've been asking myself 'Is this all I am?' I feel that there's more I could be doing than what I've done over the last few years," Heather answered, "I must know what I'm destined for… So I can find my reason for being here..."

"As for me, I've been wondering for years and find myself back where I started. I need to know more… more of who I am and what I truly want… I know now that I need to spread my wings and expand my horizons… Only then will I be able to feel whole..."

"You two are only on the first step on the path leading you to your true selves. I sense you are ready." Wu was aware that the girls had little understanding of what they'll get themselves into but sensed a hidden strength of will within the former and a brilliant wit in the latter. Neither were aware of these qualities buried deep within them… yet. He knew they will become an integral part of the Secret Ninja Force and accepted them into the team.

Cole and Zane gazed at one another and knew what their answers would be.

"I must know more about myself to truly become a person. That is what I want more than anything. I too will be a ninja." Zane spoke first.

"Might as well join," Cole shrugged, "I just don't want to judged anymore..."

The sagely man caught the two young men's hidden emotions the moment they made their decisions. The dark-skinned human displayed a slight sense of relief while the humanoid's already glowing eyes carried a tiny light of hope for an instant the moment they made it clear they'll join the team. Wu had a hunch that those feelings will play an important part in their journey into their true selves. The only question left is if they're willing to find it.

"Anything else beyond that?" Wu asked yet again.

"I also wish to uphold my father's wish for me to protect those who can't protect themselves. I seek to also discover what will make me… a 'person'..." The android said.

"I want to see what else I have besides music," The dark-skinned teen added, "Being a ninja seems to be the only way I can find out… Still, I'm willing to do what it takes to find my place in this world."

These young men and women had so much to learn. Wu can tell they were ready to take the first step. However, there were still others who remained uncertain.

Now only Iris, Luna, and Jay were the only ones left who have yet to made their decision.

Jay saw how determined his friends were and felt inferior to them but at the same time, was eager to stand alongside them as a ninja.

But he had one problem… He was always full of insecurities as a child, even before he met the Hinata siblings and Lloyd, and he never quite grew out of his habit of expecting the worst things to happen.

'If I become a ninja, that means I'm gonna have to face the Shark Army…!'

He can't even begin to imagine what will happen if the ninja fail… and it'll probably be because of him. He had neither strength nor courage. He did want to make that change… but he didn't know where to begin. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder, making him jump. His heartbeat steadied when he saw that it was Nya. She always had a way of comforting him whenever he was in his darkest hour...

"Don't worry, Jay," Nya's voice said in a reassuring tone, "I'll help you become a ninja."

Jay really wanted to join the ninja and prove himself worthy to his friends, especially Nya. He wanted to show that he was on equal standing with them instead of being a fearful, needy tag-along and to no longer depend on them all the time. Nya had done so much for him and he wanted to return the favor. He wanted to change not just for his friends but also for himself.

"I-I'll go! I want to help too!" Jay stuttered but made his intentions perfectly clear.

Never before had his pure blue sapphire eyes shone with determination like lightning amidst the dark storm clouds. He did have more than he thought he did and it was now time to unearth them.

Now that left only two more teens to decide if they'll join the Secret Ninja Force.

As for Luna, she had absolutely no idea how to answer. She really wanted to give being a kunoichi a try and see if she can do anything besides singing but the thought of going into battle and face Garmadon with no experience in combat, or even fighting at all, terrified her.

Will all the hardships truly be worth it?

Was she really good at nothing else but singing?

And what if something even worse happens?

All the questions in her head soon caused the poor girl to cave in.

"...I… I can't..." Luna shook like a dying leaf.

"Are you scared?" Cole looked at her in concern.

Luna was conflicted over her feelings. She had to either tell the truth and face humiliation and ridicule from the others or run away like a selfish coward. She didn't want to face both consequences but she had to choose one. Either way, she'll be seen as nothing but the coward she may truly be.

She doesn't deserve any place amongst these special young men and woman.

"...Yes..." Never before had her self-esteem hit such a low. She had absolutely no right to be here...

"You have just proven yourself worthy of becoming a kunoichi."

"What!?" Luna was more shocked than anyone else by Wu's acceptance of her into the group.

"You possess more courage than you believe, Luna."

"B-but… But I'm not… I don't have any courage at all..."

"Courage is not the absence of fear. In fact, it takes a very special kind of courage to express your true feelings, especially fear. The Secret Ninja Force can really use that courage."

All the new ninja and kunoichi, not just Luna, were surprised by the elderly sage's life lesson. They had always thought that being courageous meant being able to take on any challenge without having any fear. They apparently had some beliefs that needed to change.

Now that left only Iris to decide if she'll join the team.

She remembered Karloff's advice. No matter what she does, she'll always be Iris deep down…

But who is the real Iris?

Being a kunoichi might show the answer but is it all worth it?

Iris already faced much humiliation when she opened up to Lloyd for the first time but being part of a team of warriors was an another level. Like the other teens, she had absolutely no idea how to fight or even use the simplest of weapons. There was also Garmadon and his Shark Army to consider. Karloff often lamented how difficult his job had been because of all the troubles they've caused and judging from what he said, they were violent thugs who would stop at nothing to ensure that their overlord's nefarious designs see the light of day. Saying the ninja will have their work cut out for them would be an understatement.

Yet… just like when Lloyd assumed she was patronizing him, Iris felt a need to prove herself. She didn't know why but she always found it necessary to assert herself whenever she was struck with self-doubt or if someone did so much as disagree with her. Wu sensed it too and knew what it was. Sometimes, a person's greatest strength can also be their biggest weakness. This aspect of Iris' personality was like a double-edged sword. It made her a strong candidate to be a kunoichi but at the same time, it'll cause many problems for her. Being a kunoichi may help Iris find her inner peace and find a balance.

"Iris, what is your decision?" Wu goaded her.

Iris felt her intuition telling her to do it. Being a kunoichi might help her know who the real Iris Zvezda was. This may be her one chance and she won't let it go.

"I'm in." She stood tall and firm, her deep violet eyes having that same steely gaze when she and Lloyd first met.

Wu knew from many years of experience that it takes much arduous training to see what can't be seen with the naked eye. He saw something special in each of the young men and women of the new team.

"You may not look like it now… but you all have the qualities of being a ninja… From this day forward, all of you will become the Secret Ninja Force."

The teens felt so many emotions upon being christened as ninja and kunoichi.

"Uncle," Lloyd approached his relative, "I don't regret becoming a ninja, but there's one more thing..."

"Say it."

"Uncle… Please, don't tell Mom about what I'm doing."

"Why not?"

"I feel that… I know she probably went through a lot trying to raise me to be a normal boy… but I have to accept I'll never be normal… Yet, I don't want Mom to think her efforts were wasted… I don't know how she'll react if she ever finds out… Please keep this a secret… at least for now..."

Wu remembered Koko's ambivalence at the thought of Lloyd becoming a ninja when he revealed his plan to her a long time ago. She wanted her son to make his own choices but if he really wanted to be a ninja, then he can join...

"Lloyd, I'll ask you this one more time… Is this what you really want? Are you joining the Secret Ninja Force because of genuine feelings… or do you feel you have to, whether you like it or not?"

The outcast knew that not even he had any idea what will happen next or what awaits him. What he _does_ know is that he wanted answers more than anything. He wanted to be seen as something other than the son of Garmadon. He wanted to know more… more about his father… and himself…

"I made my choice out of my own free will. I want to become a ninja."

Wu sensed the determination in his nephew's voice. That feeling he had when he first laid eyes on him when he was an infant returned. This young man is destined to become more than what he is now...

"Your secret will be safe with me."

With the Secret Ninja Force now fully formed, it was time to show the young warriors the new lifestyle they now must share.

"Now that you are ninja, I will now show you some new things to expect," Wu sauntered through the large building, "This warehouse will be your new stronghold. Here, you will learn about the way of the ninja and train in the art of combat."

"When do we begin training?" Aria asked.

"...Today."

The new team stared at the old man with eyes wider than dinner plates.

"But we just became ninja!" Heather complained, "Don't you think we still need to learn more about the way of the ninja or whatever you call it?

"Don't put off until tomorrow what can be done today," Wu lectured his new students, "You have a lot of work ahead of you. If you want to put an end to Garmadon's evil ambitions and discover your inner secrets and true purpose, you'll have your work cut out for you. I'll ask you one last time, do you think you're ready to become ninja and protect Ninjago?"

The teens looked at each other, silently debating their decision to become a team. Some of them still had some doubts and uncertainties while others firmly believed they had what it takes. Wu seemed to accept each and every one of them while being a ninja may have its downsides, they also knew it was important to start working as a team and get to know one another. It took a while but they all decided this is what they'll do.

"We're ready." Lloyd answered for the new team.

Wu's apprentices didn't know much on this first day of being ninja yet they must move forward.

"The first part of training is learning about the history of ninja. I'll get you started." The old man tossed a book titled 'Ninjology' to his nephew.

"Um… don't you have anymore books?" Jay asked.

"I'll be making more copies but read anyway. Until then, share."

"Wait. Where are you going?" Cole attempted to catch up with the old man.

"Making more copies," He repeated himself, "Now that the Secret Ninja Force has been formed, you'll start learning more about the ninja before I can even let you touch any weapons."

The teens crowded around Lloyd, trying to read the book once Wu was gone.

"This is so boring!" The ever impatient Kai complained, "I thought we would do some actual training, not doing more schoolwork!"

"What do you expect? It always starts with the boring stuff!" Nya said in exasperation. She may have more patience than her brother but there were times that it's obvious she's his sister.

"We all know little about being a ninja," The methodical Zane explained, "It is to be expected of us to learn about the ninja philosophy first before we can commence with actual combat."

Lloyd's emerald eyes shifted at all the scrap metal and tools lying about in the warehouse. The creative builder inside him already went to work, thinking of something the moment the new ninja saw all the equipment. Ideas were running wild in his head. Maybe he can put those ideas to good use contribute to the team.

"Guys, I have an idea." Lloyd gathered his new teammates.

"It would be appreciated for you to inform us of your strategy." Zane responded.

"We may be ninja but that doesn't mean we'll be doing everything the old-fashioned way. We're also gonna need some extra firepower to fend off Garmadon and his Shark Army. What do you say?" The new ninja persuaded the others.

The Hinata siblings and Jay knew Lloyd was a bit of an enthusiast when it comes to building things. He always managed to come up with creative ideas and they too started to think those ideas would come to good use.

"Tell us more." Kai encouraged Lloyd to continue…

* * *

Far from the warehouse on a man-made island…

"Fools!" The booming voice of Lord Garmadon echoed throughout his volcano-shaped base.

The members of the Shark Army bowed before the dark lord, trembling at the thought of the different ways he might punish them.

"My plan had failed and it's no thanks to you for not making any effort to fix it!" Garmadon hissed, his forked tongue slithering out between his fangs for a moment.

Garmadon's goons flinched while remaining silent, letting him ramble on over their failure...

"The Garmadon Spice Lattes didn't sell at all!" The four-armed tyrant shoved a bunch of newspapers at their faces. The headlines in bold print proclaimed that what was supposed to be the most popular drink in Ninjago City, whose secret recipe was crafted by the dark lord himself, was a total flop.

"This isn't how it works! Basic bitches love pumpkin spice lattes so why not Garmadon Spice Lattes!?" Garmadon rambled on, not that his lackeys had the nerve to talk back.

The Shark Army would've told their boss that condensed evil wasn't considered edible by the citizens of Ninjago but Garmadon didn't take criticism well at all. With the volcano nearing completion and the dark lord threatening to literally fire anyone who failed him, they remained quiet.

"Leave! I need some evil villain me time!" Garmadon shooed off his underlings, his sour mood making him too angered to keep them around. They got the message and ran out as fast as they could.

Now that he was alone, the dark lord finally had time to ruminate his thoughts.

He knew the only person he ever loved was somewhere in the city within sight of his base… as well as their son…

He still remembered the day his lover left him, taking their child with her. He was heartbroken but he was also angry, bitter, and jealous. He was truly happy when his son was born and looked forward to being a father but that was all taken from him so suddenly and his hopes were shattered by the same woman who made him know what it is to love.

But as the dark lord, he can make that change...

"One day, we will meet again…"

…

"Luh-Loyd..."

* * *

 **Yup. Garmadon's still gonna call his son that in this story. Now that the teens are finally ninja, the plot will FINALLY pick up & we'll see Luh-Loyd & the others go on a bunch of wacky misadventures! Please review!**


	9. No Time to Lose

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hey guys! Today's chapter will be a bit slow because I want to give the ninja & kunoichi plenty of time to get to know one another. I want the whole team to have plenty of interactions and develop various relationships. For now, read on.**

* * *

Chapter 8: No Time to Lose

With the students rarely going to the rooftop during school hours, the small area become something of a sanctuary for Lloyd and Iris after their first meeting. Since they were members of the Secret Ninja Force, the other ninja and kunoichi started gathering there during lunch.

"Again, Lloyd. You do have some pretty neat ideas." Cole commended the green-eyed teen for his idea when they first became ninja.

"It's not much," Lloyd still wasn't used to receiving real compliments, "I just always had this thing for building stuff..."

* * *

 _In the warehouse, Lloyd examined all the items inside and ideas were already running wild in his head._

" _Is there something on your mind?" Aria examined his thoughtful expression._

" _We could use all these scrap metal and tools to build large mechanisms that'll help us in battle." The outcast turned ninja already thought up of various designs similar to those giant mecha in the anime he occasionally watched._

" _Really? How?" Jay, with his affinity for inventions, was instantly intrigued by Lloyd's idea._

 _Lloyd remembered his fascination with dragons and interest in creating a life-like replica. Becoming a ninja may have given him the opportunity to bring that idea to life. But it's not his ideas alone he can make a reality. The whole team can lend a hand and come up with designs for their own mechanisms._

" _We can all create something unique as long as we put our minds into it. I-I know it sounds silly but it's something that always intrigued me. I really like the concept of bringing ideas only I can create to life. You can even come up with your own ideas and make them a reality."_

 _The others looked interested, especially Nya and Jay._

" _Perhaps we should get more accustomed to our roles as ninja before coming up with designs. We also don't know much of what we're getting ourselves into." Heather pointed out._

 _As much as Lloyd didn't want to admit it, his teammate was right. The team must grow accustomed to their new lives and figure out what kind of mechanism is right for them._

" _We do think it'll be useful but maybe we can hold off on it just a little longer, okay?" Kai suggested._

" _Fine..." Lloyd had to admit the others were right._

 _Still, he'll definitely bring his ideas to life..._

* * *

Hanging out on the rooftop was no longer just a personal getaway for Lloyd. Now it was something of a meeting ground for the whole group to discuss their strategies and plans as ninja but also getting to really know one another.

"I guess I should be glad I left the journalism club when I did..." Aria looked back on the way the club she was involved with sensationalized Lloyd and Iris' first meeting.

"What made you dislike it?" Zane asked.

"It's not just because it wasn't what I thought it would be. Some of the members went a bit overboard when it comes to making a story that could make the front page." She looked back on that awful time.

"Anyone you didn't like in particular?" Kai prodded her.

"Ash was so annoying! He kept hogging all the spotlight and getting all worked up over his hair!" The capricious girl complained.

Jay silently agreed with her. He shared physics class with the club leader, who always tried to get the class' attention on him at any chance he got and even the shy boy was annoyed by his massive ego.

"So what do you think our first lesson will be as ninja?" Kai brought the conversation back to their new lives as ninja.

"I don't know," Cole shrugged, "But knowing Master Wu, it's probably more boring stuff..."

"Definitely." Even Lloyd had to admit his uncle had his… quirks… However, he still planned to see what other secrets he may be hiding...

* * *

The ninja returned to the warehouse in the early evening where Wu already awaited them.

"Greetings, students. Today is where you will truly begin learning the way of the ninja." He greeted his new students and returned the original Ninjology book to Lloyd.

"Here are the copies I have promised you." The old sage tossed more books identical to the one from yesterday to the other members.

Kai and Nya rolled their eyes but their mentor kept going.

"I also have something else for you." Wu opened a chest revealing ten identical gi. They were all made in a pristine white hue with black and gold trimmings and an emblem on the left side of the chest.

"What are those for?" Luna examined the clothing.

"Those will be your uniforms for the first part of your training."

"Really?" Cole was unimpressed. He didn't join the Secret Ninja Force just to wear sleeves.

"Really," The sharp-tongued sage retorted, "Now put them on. This is your only chance before we get on to the real action."

"Why are you talking like that?" Jay asked, "You're acting like we're at a time limit like this is all some sort of TV show or movie."

"Indeed, but even reading on the computer for so long can get tedious."

"Computer...?" Iris didn't know why but hearing Wu talk like that made her feel… uncomfortable...

"I've said too much. Now go get changed." Wu quickly shooed off his pupils so they can get dressed.

After his students were all clad in the identical gi, Wu finally got their first lesson started.

"You must grow accustomed to being a ninja before you learn all the ninja secrets." He began.

"Can you tell us some of those secrets?" Nya begged.

"One of the greatest secrets of the ninja is the art of Spinjitzu."

"Spinjitzu…?" Wu's students echoed him.

"It is a very special technique very few have ever mastered. Training alone will do you no good if you want to learn Spinjitzu. You will go through countless trials and challenges before you can master it."

Wu can see his new students wanted to know more… but not yet...

"First thing's first. You'll have to read the whole Ninjology book before you can start training in the art of combat. I would like to see more of what makes each and every one of you an individual."

The ninja were not surprised but not looking forward to today's lesson either. It always starts with the boring crap. Still, being able to learn and do Spinjitzu… They would really like to try that out one day...

* * *

The sun was already below the horizon but the sky still glowed with the soft twilight by the time Lloyd finally came home to his fretting mother.

"Lloyd!" Koko squeezed her son in a bear hug, "Where have you been? I was worried sick!"

"My friends and I started doing some after-school stuff together." Lloyd came up with an alibi to hide his new occupation from his parent.

"What kind of activities are you doing?"

Lloyd really didn't want to lie to his mother but he told himself he'll reveal his secret eventually.

"It's… it's supposed to be our own little secret..."

Koko looked at her son as if he was hiding something from her. Lloyd felt incredible guilt for lying over something very big like being a ninja. He told himself that he'll tell her when the time is right.

"It's still something you truly want to do right?" Koko asked. She wanted her child to have full control over his destiny.

"It's what I truly want. Mom please, I just want you to accept the choices I make."

"All I want is for you to be happy. Your happiness will be my happiness." Koko found Lloyd's behavior a bit off but she didn't consider herself one to complain. After all, she also had her secrets...

* * *

Back on the rooftop, it was just Lloyd and Iris this time. They had nothing against working together in the Secret Ninja Force but it was still awkward for them to interact alone. The humiliation they faced still left its impression on them despite them making an effort to put the past where it belonged. Still, now that they were ninja, they thought it best to try to get to know one another since they'll have to see each other a lot.

"I brought some jellybeans the other day. Want some?" The violet-eyed girl took out a small bag full of the colorful candy and offered some to Lloyd.

There were times when the outcast let his massive sweet tooth take over and right now, this is one of those moments.

"I don't tell people this very often but I have a weakness for candy..." He admitted while scouring the collection for his favorite flavor.

"Me too," Iris confessed, "I have to admit there are times where I wish I can eat only sweet things. By the way, what's your favorite jellybean flavor?"

"I always loved the watermelon ones. I think it's neat how the outside is green while the inside is red like real watermelons." Lloyd managed to spot a watermelon jellybean, much to his secret joy.

"Mine's bubble gum." Iris found the pink candy and popped it into her mouth, the sweet flavor being a near-perfect replica of the real thing.

"I never thought things would turn out this way..." Iris mused.

"Same..." Lloyd added, "You know, I've been meaning to ask you this since we first met..."

"What is it?"

"Why do you even bother?"

"With what?"

"Why do wear only those dresses? I'm gonna be honest but you kinda look stupid in them."

"I happen to like them? You have a problem with that?" Iris asked with slight annoyance.

"N-no! I am aware that everyone has their own personal taste. I simply don't like the idea of standing out… I guess it's because I'm constantly bullied here..." Lloyd quickly defended himself. As cynical as he was, he still didn't want to stoop to those bullies' level.

"I guess I can see why… There's still some people here who call me weird for liking what I like."

"How do you deal with them?"

"I simply decided that they're just a waste of time. If they'll never accept all of me, then it's best not to even bother with them. Yeah, some of their words hurt but paying attention to them is just what they want and I don't want to give them that."

"I never really thought of it that way..."

"It's something my uncle taught me… But the reason I became a kunoichi… I do truly believe in many of the same things as my uncle… I want to know if I'm still my own person… Who I really am and what kind of person I'll turn out to be..."

"I know that feeling..."

The duo continued to observe one another.

Underneath her gaudy dresses, Iris wasn't really bad-looking. Sure, she wasn't the most beautiful girl in Ninjago or even in Ninjago High but she was far from ugly. Along with her deep violet doe eyes, her long locks were of a bright brownish-gold hue that ended in delicate curls. Even if she wore any other type of clothing she wouldn't look bad.

At the same time, Iris had absolutely no idea why the other teens considered Lloyd 'ugly'. Yeah, he had those unnatural fangs from his dad but other than that, he was also no different than any other guy in school in terms of appearance. His eyes were like the purest of emeralds and his hair shone like gold. Those features made him stand out but not in a necessarily bad way.

Still, the young ninja and kunoichi still had a lot to learn about one another...

* * *

Much like how Lloyd and Jay were part of the auto club and Heather worked at Blossoming Memories, Kai also took part in some activities after school.

Having aspired to be a skilled warrior with the katana since he was a child, the hotheaded young man also attended Ronin's Kendo School aside from Ninjago High. He'll never forget how overjoyed he was when he was accepted into the school, which was said to be the best kendo school in the whole city.

Ronin, the head of the eponymous school, greeted his apprentices. The middle-aged man was a highly experienced swordsman and a seasoned veteran of the Warring Era who sought to keep the old ways of combat alive. As such, he was a stalwart teacher who demanded nothing less than perfection from his pupils. Ronin's students knelt before him as he began his speech.

"It has been months since you were all initiated into my school. There aren't as many of you as there was at the beginning of the year. Only those who possess a balance in strength, courage, and wisdom have the potential to be master swordsmen. Very few of you will be able to achieve that. Do you think you have what it takes?"

Kai was itching to prove himself as a capable warrior and soon, a ninja.

"Kai! You're up!"

"Hai!" The teen donned his armor and positioned himself with his shinai before him.

Using swift yet powerful swings of his shinai, Kai showed yet another impressive display of his skill. He quickly cut down all his opponents and making sure to never leave any opening. As Kai fought, Ronin observed him, taking in his expressions and actions until he emerged as victor yet again.

"Kai, you have shown much strength and determination but that alone is not enough. What you lack is patience and you allow your anger to take over. You must possess full control over your emotions and maintain a balance of both body and mind before becoming a true master of the katana." Ronin said.

Ronin saw much potential in what may be his best student yet. Kai had a fire in his eyes that no other student had. He had a feeling that fire will play in important role in his journey in life. However, it was vital for Kai to find his inner peace and learn to control that fire or he'll be controlled by it. If fire is left unrestrained, it will consume and destroy everything in its path. Only as long as it's controlled by the right hands does that flame deliver warmth and sustenance and enable people to thrive.

Time will tell if Kai will be able to find that balance...

* * *

During another day of training, the female members took advantage of their short break to try to get to know one another.

"I haven't seen you around much until now." Heather remarked at Luna.

"I-I guess..." The timid girl had just enough confidence to have a conversation with the girls.

"So what made you think it was a good idea to join the Secret Ninja Force?"

"Actually… I'm still scared… I-I really want to be a kunoichi… so I can find out if I can do more than just singing… Don't get me wrong, I would still like to become an idol… but..." Luna hesitated.

"I know how you feel," Iris reassured her, "I still have no idea what will happen. Still, I also want to find answers about myself. I didn't become a kunoichi just to give up without really trying."

"I always had a feeling _you_ would like it," Aria shifted her gaze to Nya, "You always said you wanted to be just like Lady Iron Dragon."

"True," Nya confessed, "But I would've also liked to be a samurai."

The samurai were a small faction of warriors during the Warring Era. They were a small but powerful group of warriors bound by a strict code of honor and conduct and made themselves infamous on the battlefield with their skills in combat and strong sense of honor. They mostly wielded katana but they were skilled in other kinds of weaponry from spears to bows and arrows. However, they quickly faded from history and their art was never as famous as the ninja.

"Do you like anything else besides being like Lady Iron Dragon?" Iris asked the Hinata sister.

"I guess I do have a thing with working on machinery. Also… I'm a bit of a Unikitty fan." Nya answered, whispering the last part.

"So Heather, what makes you so interested in flowers?" Iris asked.

"Actually, I'm not sure how it started..." Heather sighed, "...But I was always drawn to how unique each and every one were. And then I heard about the 'language of flowers', especially the Japanese concept of it… The word is right at the tip of my tongue..."

"Hanakotoba." Nya answered for her.

"Yeah. Finding the meaning of all kinds of flowers was so interesting. Each flower has it's own beauty as well as meaning. I-I know it sounds kinda dumb..."

"Nah. At least you're lucky you know what you like… As for me… I have no idea..." Aria sighed.

"What do you think you want?" Now it was Luna's turn to ask.

"Well… all I know is that I feel my life has been repeating like an old record… I don't know… I feel like a bird trapped in a cage… I wish I can just leave it all behind..."

"I think I know that feeling," Luna said, "I like to think I have something unique to me besides my love for music..."

"I guess that's why we made our choices..." Nya mused.

At the same time, the guys chatted amongst themselves.

"Cole, what are you doing?" Kai noticed the buff ninja leaning on someone… again.

Cole found himself leaning on Zane's shoulder again. He didn't know why he's been doing it as of late. Zane was not the mindless robot some of his peers assumed he was. He displayed emotions, thoughts, and feelings just like humans, even if he sometimes failed to grasp sarcasm or his sense of humor was behind the times. Even if Zane said he didn't mind, he still didn't want to treat him like some object… but still... there was something about the humanoid that made Cole feel… safe...

'Zane...'

The music-loving ninja still wasn't sure why he was so drawn to android. He was a nice guy but he still didn't know much about him… yet… And it only made him want to get to know him more. Maybe his intrigue was because Zane was, in a way, similar to him. They both paid no heed to the judgement of others for simply being who they were. Cole kept listening to his music no matter how many times his father complained and Zane always insisted he's just like everyone else in spite of copious comments saying otherwise.

Zane himself was looking forward to interacting with his human comrades. He truly sought to be more than a robot. He wanted to also prove he was his own person, just like everyone else. He observed his friends' various quirks, from Kai's fiery temper to Jay's shyness, which belied an ingenious mind. Zane wanted to figure out what made him unique other than him being a robot.

But one ninja always seemed to stand out to him.

The android remembered the first remark Cole made of him was a compliment of his vocal range and after he revealed he was not human, his opinion of him never seemed to change. And when he leaned on him for the first time, he said he was not just a robot. That was the first time anyone other than his father ever said that to him. He wished to have everyone see that he was really the same as them. But Cole seemed to have this profound effect on him for possibly being the first to do so.

Little did the ninja and kunoichi know that this break wasn't really all it seemed. Wu allowed his pupils to simply be who they were at the time being to find what made them individuals amongst the team. Each member had something unique about them that were all vital to the Secret Ninja Force and their chances of defeating Garmadon. It was all an observation for the old sage to determine which element each of his students were destined to be linked with.

Kai was hot-blooded but would do anything to protect his friends, much like how the flames, as much as they can be destructive, can shelter all living beings from the harsh cold. His sister Nya possessed a strong will, whether she was calm or taking part in training, much like the hidden strength within the waters of a still lake or the torrential downpour of a rainstorm.

Cole, even with his cool disposition, possessed an unmovable will as strong as the mountains. Jay had several insecurities but Wu can tell that there was a brilliant intellect hidden under the timid boy that showed itself in the spark in his sapphire eyes whenever he was around machines and technology, just like the lightning that illuminated the heavens during a storm. As for Zane, he had a mind as sharp and clear as ice alongside an eerie serenity matching the solitude of winter.

Heather was somewhat of an idealist but her mind was firmly rooted to the ground just like the trees that remain where they are but grow ever upward. Aria possessed a spirit that can't be contained and would thrive out in the open, akin to a bird free from any cage and the winds that blow. Luna showed a unique kind of courage besides her gift in music, which may prove invaluable in the future. That left Iris with her own unique traits. She may not look like it but lurking underneath those childish dresses was a hint of iron.

Finally, there was Lloyd Garmadon.

Wu saw something very special in his nephew ever since he was an infant. Even amongst this team of young ninja, he still stood out. That special part of him will bring salvation to Ninjago if he can discover who he truly is… or lead to the destruction of Ninjago, including himself, should he fail to be at peace with himself. The time to decide which path he'll tread creeps ever closer.

There will be no time to lose…

* * *

 **I swear, they will be action coming soon but the events of the movie will come much later. I know one would expect a lot of action in a movie about ninja but I don't want to rush. Anyway, I hope you all will have a Happy Thanksgiving & I'll see you again soon. Review!**


	10. Sun's Out, Guns Out

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hey guys! The ninja will start making progress as we'll explore more of Lloyd's ideas for the ninja's mechs & play around a bit with the team's interactions plus a little bit of good ol' conflict. Soon, we might get to see some real action. For now, enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Sun's Out, Guns Out

The first days of training was frankly a complete bore for the young ninja. All they ever did these past several days were reading Master Wu's 'Ninjology' book. The old man even made them read through the entire thing repeatedly until they memorized it almost word for word. There wasn't anything that interested them because all it talked about was this so-called inner peace and maintaining a balance of several virtues such as patience, endurance, and wisdom among others.

Today, that might change…

"I sense that your patience is wearing thin." Wu greeted his students once they arrived.

"You all have displayed unique traits that have bound each of you to a certain element." He continued.

"Element…?" Aria tilted her head in confusion.

'Since when did science become involved in being a kunoichi?' The flighty girl asked to herself.

"Every individual ninja embodied different elements and now a new generation of ninja must rise and master their elements. It will be a long and arduous journey ahead and you must start your training if you want to truly save Ninjago." Wu gave an explanation of what he really meant.

"So which elements are we?" Kai asked, hoping to get a badass element like fire…

"I can't reveal your elements just yet." Wu disappointed his students yet again.

"Then what was the point in telling us right now?" Even the demure Heather became exasperated by Wu revealing things just to hold off on them.

"You must be prepared for future events to come. It's now time to commence the physical training as a ninja. All of you need to build up your strength before you can handle these weapons."

Wu opened one of the wardrobes in the warehouse but there were no clothes inside. Instead a variety of weapons was stored inside, from different kinds of well-known blades to the less common weapons such as the kusarigama.

Some of the ninja marveled at the selection while others grew hesitant. From what they knew of the way of the ninja, having to learn to fight was inevitable but it didn't necessarily make the knowledge that they'll have to use these weapons someday any less intimidating.

Kai made a beeline for a pair of katana while Nya quickly grabbed a spear. Wu, knowing which element each ninja embodied, already figured out which armament each of them will use. Still, it was hardly a coincidence that the Hinata siblings picked those weapons. The old man knew they were destined to use those even before they touched them. But right now wasn't the time.

"Not yet!" He smacked the siblings' heads with his bamboo staff he got out of nowhere and probably just for that purpose before closing the wardrobe.

"You will also be getting new uniforms that will be completely unique to each and every one of you..." Wu continued.

Cole felt his hopes rise, desperate to be free from those damn sleeves.

"...After you grow strong enough to start training with weaponry and figure out which element you're bound to. Then you will find the weapon that is right for you and set out as individuals."

The normally down-to-earth Cole was at his limit. He can't handle it anymore. He let out a mighty roar in frustration, startling his teammates…

...and tore off the sleeves of his uniform, exposing his massive biceps to the world. The other ninja and kunoichi simply stared in confusion and astonishment though Cole caught a couple of them blushing.

What can he say? Sun's out, guns out.

"Now, we'll begin your physical training by lifting the dumbbells in the warehouse." Wu commanded and pointed at the equipment, acting like Cole's outburst never happened.

"So this is basically like those PE classes at school?" Lloyd asked jadedly.

"In a way," His uncle admitted, "But here, there's no awful school cliches getting in the way."

"True..."

The ninja soon started training. Wu knew their skills will be put to the test very soon and he wanted to ensure they'll be ready when that time comes...

* * *

The ninja and kunoichi continued their training for several days. It was still boring but hey, at least they no longer have to just sit and read a boring book all day.

"What are you doing?" Iris noticed Cole tying up some of his ebony locks in a small man-bun, which he had never done until now, which made him stand out even more with his already sleeveless uniform.

"Gotta keep my hair out of the way while I'm training," The cool ninja shrugged while finishing off his new look with a brown bandanna wrapped around his forehead, "And I think it looks cool to boot."

"Uh… sure..." She dismissed him.

"You should get your hair out of the way too. You wouldn't want to get it all messed up, do you?" Cole held a small lock of her hair, noting how long it was.

"No thanks. I'll be fine." Iris declined his suggestion and went back to her calisthenics… and countless interruptions due to her hair. Her long hair kept getting in her face and she accidentally pulled it more often than she'd like to admit, much to Cole's amusement.

"Don't deny it. Your hair's getting in the way. I'll tie it up for you." Cole led Iris away from the center of the warehouse to tend to her locks, ignoring her reluctance.

Iris sighed while the muscular ninja handled and styled her brownish-gold hair into a simple updo with a gentleness not even she would've expected from him. The way he tended to her was very similar to the way any good parent would for their children. Cole chuckled at the way the young kunoichi puffed up her cheeks in annoyance while he arranged her hairstyle. It was almost as if she was his little sister with the way he was taking care of her. As laid-back as he was, Cole had a compassionate side, often seeking to nurture and help anyone in any way he can. He always felt a sense of satisfaction when he gives advice and guidance to others, even when he gets nothing in return. Whenever he saw someone in distress, he often gave in to his impulse to remedy their problems and to simply be there for them.

But why did he have this need to care for and nurture others?

Was it because he didn't want anyone to suffer like he does with his father?

Or was it something innate like it was a part of his very being he never knew was there all this time?

Perhaps that's why he decided to be a ninja in the first place. He loved music but there could be more to him than even he knows...

"There we go," Cole put the last bobby pin in place, "All done. I gotta say, you look great."

Iris' new hairstyle was a plain updo, nothing fancy. Still, it looked surprisingly neat knowing who did it.

"Thanks..." Iris didn't exactly want it but she appreciated his thoughtfulness. While he was styling her hair, she also felt reassured by his presence. There was something about Cole that would make him an excellent role model or brother figure. From what she heard from Luna, he was always eager to lend a helping hand and watch out for others. Even if it was for just one moment, Iris had little doubt that the strong ninja would make an excellent parent if he wanted to...

'Since good parents always care for their kids...'

Iris shook her thoughts of her past away. She needed to keep training if she wanted to be a kunoichi...

* * *

After a few more days of training, Kai was making progress. Since he already attended Ronin's Kendo School, he firmly believed it's only a matter of time before he can finally wield the katana… but there was something else that bugged him.

Despite the fact that he wasn't human, Zane still joined the their teammates in training. As a robot, he would always be as strong as he was the day he was brought to life. He also won't have to worry about getting injured like humans since he'll be able to fix himself in an instant. Without suffering from the same vulnerabilities as real humans, he would already be strong enough to take on Garmadon and the Shark Army. Kai felt a little envious but he was more confused as to why Zane would have to train with him if he would be in perfect condition forever.

"I get that we all have to become stronger but why do _you_ have to join in?" The fiery teen finally asked the android, "Aren't you a robot? Training won't make a difference when it comes to strength."

Zane felt something stir within him when his own teammate called him a robot. It was the exact same feeling he got whenever his school peers dismissed him simply for not being human. To hear Kai, one of the first people to ever befriend him despite his origin, say such a thing made Zane feel something else within him too. He didn't know what it was but what he did know was that he didn't like it and he didn't want to experience it again. It also took control of his impulses and before the android knew it, he responded.

"My level of experience in martial arts is the same as yours. It is not a matter of physical strength but the knowledge of combat that requires me to train alongside you." Zane's usually quiet voice carried a slight hint of annoyance, which was a first for his friends because they always saw him smile and never displayed any negative emotions… until now.

"Perhaps I am not wanted here for the moment..."

Kai and the others were taken aback by the humanoid's response and remained silent as the android moved to a more isolated corner of their base to train away from any harsh judgement.

"I've never seen Zane so upset before..." Heather felt bad for her teammate, which was ironic with her affinity for flowers.

"Way to go, Kai." Nya glared in her brother's direction.

"What did _I_ do!?" The spiky-haired teen hissed.

"I-I don't think he likes it when he's called a robot..." Jay guessed while siding with the confident girl.

"But isn't that what he is?" Aria pointed out.

"Maybe it's because he doesn't want to be seen by his differences alone..." Lloyd answered, "It's bad enough already for him to not be human but he is also treated differently just because of that, rather than being treated the same by how similar he can be to them... I guess... in a way... I understand how he feels..."

"You do?" Luna looked at him for answers.

"Yeah… I have my own hobbies and interests just like everybody else but all the people see is the son of Garmadon… instead of another teenage boy..." The ostracized youth gazed at the robot's direction. He couldn't help but see some of himself inside the humanoid. They were both very different not just from each other but from their own peers and everyone else in Ninjago. Deep down, they weren't as different as even they believed but barely anyone gave them the chance to prove it.

Maybe that's why they were friends… because they knew what it's like to be judged… and they knew the pain of rejection...

* * *

On the way home after their training session, Nya really let Kai have it.

"You really messed up back there," Nya glared at Kai, "We all know how sensitive Zane gets whenever anyone points out he's a robot."

"Why are you acting like I freakin' murdered him!?" The hothead complained, "I'm just not that great with words, okay!?"

"That doesn't mean you can just run around and make other people feel like crap! How would you feel if Jay suddenly walks up to you and says you're an insane pyromaniac!?"

"Come on! I may not be perfect but I'm not a psychopath!"

"See? Now you know how you made Zane feel!"

"Look, I didn't really mean to treat him like a freak! Is there anything that'll convince you otherwise!?"

"You better apologize to Zane," Nya threatened Kai, "Or I'll tell him about the time -"

"Okay! Okay! Sheesh!" The Hinata brother relented, "I'll tell him I'm sorry!"

"You better..."

* * *

The ninja were back at the warehouse and Zane seemed to have recovered from Kai's remarks. He was smiling like he usually did and as unnerving as it was, it made his teammates optimistic that he might not hold any grudges against the hot-blooded ninja's harsh words.

"Kai, is there something you want to tell Zane?" Nya narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"Yeah… uh… sorry about what I said the other day..." Kai felt awkward while apologizing to the robot. He wasn't a bad guy but he wasn't exactly good at apologizing.

"All is forgiven," Zane calmly accepted the fiery ninja's apology, "It is true I am not a human. However, I do not wish to be treated any differently because of my origin."

"I know that feeling," Lloyd said, "I don't like being seen just by my differences either."

"I am grateful you and I share the same feelings."

Now that Kai and Zane have made amends (for now), it seems like to rest of today will go smoothly...

* * *

During today's break, Lloyd gathered as much paper as he can find in the warehouse and immediately began drawing sketches of what appeared to be gigantic machines.

"Lloyd, what are you doing?" Aria tried to take a peek at the rough drafts he was making.

"You know how I said I could build mechanisms for us to use?" The green-eyed ninja started.

"Yeah…?" Iris urged him to continue.

"I wasn't lying when I said I'll be making them and I already have ideas for what I'm gonna use." Lloyd seemed determined to bring his idea of creating a living dragon to life.

The other ninja looked at the crude drawings which portrayed a large dragon. It was really impressive coming from Lloyd himself. Some of them were already aware of his fascination with building and just about anything that involved creativity. The usually bitter pariah never looked as happy as he did when he was designing various things to build, such as right now.

"I'll also make mechs for each and every one of you." Lloyd offered.

"You don't have to make a whole bunch of these things for us," Cole said, "I don't want you exhausting yourself for the sake of our convenience..."

"Don't worry. It's something I really want to do." The young ninja reassured his teammate.

"I hate to admit it but I could use some help..." The aspiring builder admitted.

"I can help." Nya offered.

"M-me too." Jay added.

The latter blushed when he realized this could mean that he and Nya might be working together even as ninja. Although he genuinely wanted to help Lloyd create new machines, even if Nya never offered to help before him, the freckled teen was even more delighted that he'll also be able to spend plenty of time being with her alone during their training sessions.

"Do you have any ideas what this dragon machine will be like?" Nya inspected the sketches.

"I have tons of ideas," Lloyd went on like an excitable kid, "It's gonna be able to breath fire and have a whole bunch of missiles. I have a lot more but I want to show them to you after it's done."

"Do you think your uncle won't mind if you do this?" Jay brought up his concern that their old mentor might not approve of using mechs as ninja.

"Leave him to me," Lloyd answered, "I'll convince him that the mechs will prove useful once we start to… you know..."

"Lloyd, you do know being a ninja means having to fight against your dad right…?" Kai reminded him.

"I know that," The young ninja sighed, "But for now, being a ninja seems to be the only way for me to find the answers I've been searching for all my life..."

"Even if being a ninja is what you want, you _are_ aware of everything that comes with it, do you?" Cole brought up the downside of becoming Ninjago's potential hero.

"I know… Still… I can't have everything I want..."

All the ninja were aware of the risks their new lives may bring. They'll have to carry so many burdens on their shoulders amongst many other things. They knew they'll have to discover themselves one day but never thought it'll be like this. It seems like they've paid the ultimate price for finding themselves.

* * *

The ninja may have to train every day of the week but fortunately, the same can't be said for school.

Jay was beyond delighted when he got a message from Nya during the weekend. The strong-willed girl texted him, saying she wanted to show him something very special. Saying he felt honored would be an understatement. It was a miracle she was even friends with him, even after all these years.

"Mom! Dad! I'm gonna go to Nya's place for a while!" Jay called to his parents while getting ready.

"Isn't Nya that girl you -"

"DAD!" Jay clamped his hand over his father's mouth.

Ed would've smirked if he could. He knew how his son really felt for Nya just by his reaction alone. He remembered when he was like that...

"Stay safe, sweetie!" Edna gave her son a kiss on the cheek, "Remember, don't talk to strangers, don't talk with your mouth full, and most importantly..."

"Come back home before bedtime." Jay said in perfect sync with his mother, having heard his parents give him the exact same advice since he was little, "I'll be fine."

Just as Jay stepped outside, Edna gave one last bit of advice.

"Make sure you also got some spare underwear just in case!" She shouted.

"M-Mom…!" Jay felt his tanned face turn beet red and wrapped up his scarf even tighter when some of the neighbors laughed.

Even if he loved his parents, they can be so embarrassing...

* * *

Jay ran at top speed through the streets of Ninjago City like a streak of bright blue lightning. He didn't know why everyone he met say it but they claim he's the fastest person they've known. Even in PE, he often outran his classmates and usually finished first in races. His parents even called it a gift but the shy boy never thought of it as such. He attributed his speed simply to his need to have things done on time. There's no way someone as plain and awkward as him can be special, even as a ninja…

And before Jay knew it, he was in the Ignacia district in the eastern part of the city where Nya's family lived. It was one of the oldest parts of Ninjago City and because of that, much of the architecture was still old-fashioned, including the Hinata residence, even though the people living there still had access to modern technology.

"Nya! I'm here!" Jay called out once he reached Nya's house.

"Jay, I knew you'd come!" Nya greeted him, oblivious to how awestruck he was by her presence.

"You said you wanted to show me something."

"Yeah! Come see it!" The Hinata sister dragged him towards the back of the house.

"Just to be curious, why did you want me to see this? Don't you think you should be with someone… cooler…? Like Cole…?"

"You probably don't think it but you're really a great guy," Nya reassured him, "Stop fretting over what other people say. It's their fault for being a bunch of shallow losers."

"No… If anything, _I'm_ the loser..."

"No you're not! You're a ninja and ninja aren't losers!"

Nya found Jay to be quite charming in his own unique way but his insecurities can get a bit annoying. He was much smarter than he let on as he was one of the few people to catch up with her whenever she spoke of her interest in inventions and machinery. She can even tell he possessed much potential to become a ninja. Whenever he had that bright spark in those perfect sapphire eyes, that was when she saw the hidden virtues he possessed. As overly cautious as he can be, Jay was always there for his friends and even if he can be clumsy at times, he truly cared for them and he was just as good as their teammates in training despite his extremely low self-esteem.

If he can't see that, then perhaps she'll have to make him...

"I've only shown this to my family but I also want you to see it before anyone else does." Nya guided her friend to their destination and pointed at a large object covered in a grey cloth and threw it off to reveal it was a large silver motorcycle but Jay never seen such a model and he's seen quite a lot.

"What do you think?" Nya boasted, "I've been working on this thing for a long time!"

"When did you get it?" Jay inspected the vehicle, impressed by how unique it was, "None of the auto shops in Ninjago City sell this model and there's never been any motorcycle like this one before..."

"It was actually my mother's," Nya answered, "She planned for me to have it when I'm older. I actually wanted to add my own touch, which is why it doesn't look like any other… I want to make it something entirely unique… Something that'll make it feel more like… 'me'..."

"It's really neat..." Jay admired the intricate work the confident girl had done to the motorcycle.

"Once I'm old enough to drive, I'm gonna add a little something special." Nya said.

'But you're already special...' Jay wanted to say his thoughts out loud but alas, he always had the most trouble expressing himself when it's just him and Nya.

"You know, I'm kinda looking forward to helping Lloyd make a bunch of cool mechs," Nya confessed, "I always liked working with machines and the like so I'm on board with his idea."

"Me too..." Jay can't deny his penchant for technology and inventing.

"What do you think your mech will be?"

"I don't know… We'll have to wait and see..."

The tech-savvy duo had plenty of ideas on their mind but the best part about working on these mechs together wasn't taking part in their hobbies.

Just being with one another made them feel... happy…

* * *

 **I don't know if I'm alone on this or not but I feel that the movie could've fixed Jaya. Too bad the movie had its… priorities... Also, this chapter may not be the only time Kai & Zane will clash with one another since they have opposing elements & personalities (which NEEDS to happen in the show but never will).**

 **As seen with Cole & Iris, I want to explore how each ninja & kunoichi interact with one another. Some will be good and others… not so much. It's all part of their character growth.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you again soon & don't forget to review!**


	11. In My Element

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Guys, we've reached a milestone! This chapter is now 10 chapters long! I know this site already said it had 10 chapters but the first 'chapter' is really just a prologue. Anyway, the ninja will be entering the next step in their training in this special chapter & Lloyd will start constructing the ninja mechs starting with yours truly. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10: In My Element

Lloyd looked over his sketches of his future dragon mech as did Jay and Nya. Lloyd had placed so much painstaking details on his designs and upon seeing that dedication, they wanted to do what they can to help him with his project.

While coloring some of his sketches, Jay noticed another of Lloyd's quirks.

"You sure like the color green." He observed.

"Yeah..." The green-eyed ninja confessed.

Lloyd's favorite color was green. He didn't know why but he always felt a strong affinity for that color. Most of his clothes, particularly his hoodie he was rarely seen in public without, were green. Not only will his dragon will have the same color but its fiery breath will also be green, but the thing is…

"Is there any way to turn fire green?" Lloyd pondered, "I don't want it to breathe ordinary fire."

"I remember Mr. Borg saying that certain chemicals can change the color of fire." Jay offered advice.

"Do you remember which ones?"

"I think it's boron salts… Though I might be wrong..." The timid ninja answered.

"You're right," Nya said, "Adding boric acid to fire makes it green."

"Boric acid… I could definitely use that… But where can I get it…?"

"Maybe you should look elsewhere," Jay interrupted, "Boric acid is poisonous and it could affect you if you're not careful… Not saying you aren't careful or anything..."

"Actually, I think Mr. Borg also said that copper sulfate can be used too..." Nya suggested.

"Wow… you're like the smartest girl ever..." Jay sighed wistfully, much to Lloyd's exasperation.

"Of course," The competitive girl boasted, "Why else would I be the best?"

And again, Jay was reduced to a pile of sappy mush.

"I hate to interrupt but would you mind lending me a hand?" Lloyd gave his friends an expression that was the picture perfect definition of annoyance.

"Sure thing." Nya quickly returned to helping her friend design his mechanical dragon along with Jay, who mentally kicked himself for letting nearly giving away his true feelings.

'Way to go, Jay! You almost blew it!' The timid ninja scolded himself.

He had to wait just a little longer until the time was right…

* * *

Lloyd headed to the warehouse, eager to continue working on his mech. School was over but training won't start for another hour and he wanted to get his dragon done as soon as possible. Once he was in the ninja's base, he grabbed his blueprints and tools and went to work. He didn't have much for the moment but he wasn't afraid to go out and find all the equipment he'll need to build his dragon.

"So this is what you've been doing the whole time." An old voice startled the young ninja.

"U-Uncle!" Lloyd scrambled to hide the sketches.

"So you're planning on building mechanisms for the Secret Ninja Force..." Wu's voice carried a sense of knowing, "I actually find it fitting. You were always interested in building unique things and the like..."

"I-I just thought it'll be neat and it's something I r-really want to do..." Lloyd refused to look right in his uncle's eyes, fearing he'll be rejected, just like he is everyday…

"I will not stop you from making your ambitions a reality." Wu answered in a way his nephew would've never thought.

"Y-you don't think i-it's a bad idea…?" Lloyd was surprised that his uncle didn't disapprove.

"I have nothing against you doing what you truly enjoy. Perhaps some new contraptions will give you and your allies and edge that might throw the Shark Army off guard... However, you can't rely only on your mechs alone to win all your battles. That would defeat the purpose of being ninja."

"I guess..." Lloyd remembered that the mechs were never part of his uncle's plans, whatever they are, and hopefully he'll reveal them soon...

* * *

Training commenced shortly after the rest of Secret Ninja Force arrived and each of them commenced their training with a unique routine. They all showed their unique quirks already, from Cole lifting the heaviest weights in the warehouse, to Zane making calculations on every movement he made, and all the way to Iris always standing her ground, even when she was at the brink of exhaustion. Even Luna managed to stay at the same pace as the others while training, which some of them didn't expect.

"Not to be rude or anything but I didn't think you'd be able to keep up with us." Kai told the seemingly spineless girl.

"I actually have to do a lot of dance practice at the music club," Luna replied, "In a way, it is similar to exercising so maybe that's how I've managed to do well so far..."

"Yup." Cole added once he was finished with his weightlifting, "Sometimes, you would practice for at least an hour, all to become an idol. If that doesn't define determination, I don't know what does."

Luna felt reassured by Cole's compliment. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. If only she could do something for him in return...

"The first interim of training is done," Wu called to his students halfway through today's session, "You shall regain your strength before moving forward."

"I hate to admit it but at least working out is not as bad as reading that damn book all the time." Aria tried to talk with her new teammates during today's break.

"Yes," Zane agreed, "The mental stimulation brought forth by physical activity is easier to detect than that which occurs while reading."

"And I also wonder what will happen next once Master Wu thinks we've finished this part of training." Heather added.

"Maybe he'll reveal our elements..." Aria spoke again, "Or perhaps he'll give us our first mission..."

"I-I don't think he would d-do that..." Luna whispered, "We don't r-really have enough experience with f-fighting… We're j-just not ready..."

"Luna, I still don't know what Master Wu meant when he said you have courage but you have to face the fact that we're kunoichi now," Aria reminded the fearful girl, "I understand it can be unnerving to do something completely unfamiliar but we made our choices."

As much as she agreed with the spirited girl, Luna still frequently showed hesitance about becoming a kunoichi. She really wanted to find if she was still her own person outside of music but…

"I'm sure we all have that small voice in our heads saying 'This is a bad idea'. But we won't know that for certain unless we keep going," Heather spoke up, "I know it sounds harsh but running away won't do us any good. We have no choice but see where our decisions will take us..."

"Let's just hope that nothing bad will happen to Ninjago before we're done training." Lloyd said.

While Wu observed his pupils, he not only observed their personalities and elemental affiliations but also their different training methods.

Kai was quick to make the first strike and the more he strikes, the more fierce he becomes. As for Nya, she was straightforward, fierce yet elegant like the ocean waves. But each and every one of the ninja displayed their own unique traits and hints to which element was right for them.

Cole would work out often, granting him with arguably the most physical strength of his students but he didn't use it simply to beat down anyone else. If anything, he used his immense power to protect and help others, which he was said to often do even outside of training. Jay was prone to worrying a lot but he would pull through for his friends… and someone important to him… Wu knew how the shy boy really felt but Jay had to figure out his true feelings by himself. Jay also had a bright and intelligent mind that he expressed through his strong affiliation with technology and a speed that was unrivaled amongst his teammates. Zane, being an android, saw everything in an analytical perspective and often sought to find the most efficient way to get the best results. He never wasted even the slightest bit of movement and remained focus on the task at hand with an unwavering fortitude.

His male students were each unique but Wu can't go without saying the same for the girls in the team.

Aria always wanted to move around a lot and would often fidget when she had to stand still for longer than five seconds. Yet she moved with a unique grace and as fickle as she may be, she was a force to be reckoned. But it was outside of training that Wu saw her hidden gifts. She was able to keep up with complex conversations and thrived when she worked with her teammates rather than by herself. She was independent but social at the same time. Heather often remained grounded but remained open to all possibilities. From what he heard from her, she still worked part-time at a flower shop and if that wasn't already a hint to her element, then her training method of being steadfast as a mighty oak was what convinced him. As for Luna, she really did have a unique courage. As frightened as she was of all the things that may happen to her as a kunoichi, she still trained with the others. She stilled seemed a little too dependent on the others, especially Cole, but like her voice when she sang, her intentions to find her true purpose rang loud and clear to him.

Iris was always straightforward ever since training began. Wu saw the light of the double-edged sword shine in her eyes whenever she appeared to waver. It has served her well for the time being but there will be a time when it will cause problems later on. But right now, she persevered and showed much potential as a kunoichi with her hidden iron will.

Finally, there was Lloyd.

Wu's young nephew still had a lot to learn about being a ninja as well as himself. That special aspect of him was still there and it was slowly but surely growing. The time for Lloyd to realize that was coming. But it wasn't just Lloyd who'll go down a path of self-discovery and not just him and the whole Secret Ninja Force. The old man had a feeling that someone else will start walking down a similar path. Years have passed since they've last seen each other but Wu remembered that person well enough to know how he really felt. Sooner or later, those two people will have to

Days have passed since the Secret Ninja Force came to fruition and now was time for the young ninja and kunoichi to take the next step…

"Starting from now on, things will be different," Wu said once the ninja's break was over, "You've been training yourselves for the challenges ahead. But that is only delaying the inevitable. In the past, I told you of the elements you were destined to be bound to and the weapons you will wield. You have done well for the time being and it's now time to reveal them to you."

Wu's students awaited his next lengthy monologues with bated breath.

Finally, he'll tell them something that will actually be meaningful.

"Kai, you allow your emotions to run wild and are guided by them… Yet you are willing to protect your loved ones no matter what. Your feelings and how you react according to them is very much like a fire that can either shelter or destroy. Nya, you have always possessed a strong confidence, whether you are calm or expressing intense emotions, much like the constantly changing current of the river. Both of you share the same blood but you are not the same, just like the fire and water you are bound to."

"Hell yeah!" The hot-blooded young man was beyond delighted to get the badass element he wanted and his confident sister was also pleased to have such a cool and versatile element.

"It is time to assign each of you to the weapons you will use as ninja." Wu opened the wardrobe full of weapons from earlier.

"So we're gonna start using those now?" Lloyd asked.

His uncle silently answered him with a nod.

"You're expecting us to start using actual weapons? A-are you insane?" Heather was dumbfounded by her teacher's suggestion. She was also growing impatient but the sudden changes were still more than a little jarring.

"Then would a sane person not question the concept of the Secret Ninja Force the first moment they are told of it?" Wu retorted.

The flower-loving girl held her tongue this time. She hated to admit it but he did have a point…

"Because of your elements, Kai, ninja of fire, you will wield the katana and Nya, kunoichi of water, you shall learn the art of combat with the spear."

This time, Wu did not stop the Hinata siblings from grabbing the very same weapons they were drawn to when he first revealed them. Kai was ecstatic to finally wield a real katana while Nya gazed in awe at the spear in her hands. He sensed their enthusiasm but they'll need more than just that to master the art of combat and they weren't alone.

"Like your elements, you are all bound to a certain weapon too." Wu revealed his weapon collection to the remaining ninja and revealed their respective arms to them one by one.

"Zane, your logical ways allows you to quickly detect the enemy's weakness and that is where you will strike like the icy chill of winter. However, you do not possess the coldness often associated with your element. You are more than what you seem, much like how winter is not simply an unforgiving season of decline as oft believed. With this bow, you will strike at your foes' weakest point and they'll freeze under your cold might. Zane, you are the ninja of ice."

Zane examined the simple bow bestowed upon him. Archery was outside of his expertise for now but that only made him more curious. He would like to add every piece of information on how to use this weapon to his already vast database. There was so much he wanted to know and experience. Being a ninja was something entirely different and he also wanted to experience it.

"Jay, you believe you have nothing special but I see a very clever soul hidden deep within you. Like the lightning that illuminates the heavens amidst the storm, that part of you has shown through time and again. With the kusarigama, you will strike down all foes like lightning from the sky. Jay, your intellect and speed makes you all the more suitable as the ninja of lightning.

Jay was a bit nervous having to start using such an unusual weapon yet he can't deny he was intrigued the moment he held his new and unusual weapon for the first time. The long chain had a plain handle on one end and on the other end was a small sickle. It looked like something straight out of a martial arts movie. Still, he wanted to stop depending on others all the time. Now only time will tell if he'll be able to stand alongside the other ninja or not.

"Cole, you seek to nurture those around you, much like the earth and all her children. You also possess tremendous strength while remaining steady just like the mountains but also a terrible power that can cause as much destruction as an earthquake if you do so much as falter. However, that strength can be used to protect others with this warhammer. Use that strength as the mighty ninja of earth, Cole."

Cole surprisingly lifted the large hammer with little difficulty. After all, he didn't get all those muscles simply by listening to music all the time. As simple as it seemed, the strong young man thought getting to wield a hammer would be pretty cool. Unlike his father, he believed it that even the simplest things can make the biggest impact.

"Aria, your emotions are never in one place for long. You value freedom above all else and wish to gain it. Your body and mind run untamed like the wind. Someone who seeks to be free will also be skilled in using these twin daggers in battle. With them, you will also be as swift yet powerful as the gales. You already embody your element Aria, kunoichi of wind."

Aria stared in awe at her new weapons. The blades were thicker than Kai's katana but definitely on the short side. The spirited girl had so many thoughts running through her head, from excitement to fear. She always wanted to do something different but this never came in mind. She still wanted to find her life's calling and she knew she'll do anything to find it… perhaps even become a kunoichi...

"Heather, you are very much aware of the world around you while at the same time, carry many ideas. Like the trees that grow, you remain true to your origins while you seek out new horizons and remain open to as many ideas as there are flowers. Only the truly steadfast can wield a weapon as strong as this mace. As the kunoichi of nature, you shall continue to grow ever upward like the trees, Heather."

Heather had no idea what to make of her new weapon. The mace was fairly large and was lined with spikes. It was the very last thing the flower-loving girl imagined to wield. Then again, becoming part of a team of warriors was never something she would've thought of. Yet there was that part of her that can't deny the anticipation of taking action soon.

"Luna, what I have said when you admitted your fears is true. You possess a very unique courage that will prove invaluable, no matter how much you believe otherwise. Because of that, your weapon will also be unique. These pair of sai were meant for defensive combat but can be powerful when wielded by the proper hand. I understand how frightened you are but the only way for your fears to go away is to confront them head on. Will you take these sai and conquer your fears as the kunoichi of sound?"

Just like she did when she first became a kunoichi, Luna shook like a leaf and had to be encouraged by her teammates to even lay a finger on one of the sai. She still can't deny her fear… nor her desire to be something more. For now, she thought it best to leave all her questions for fate to answer.

"Iris, all that silk you wear hides steel. You have a strength not even you are aware of. That strength is what motivates your decisions, from talking to my nephew for the very first time, to becoming part of the Secret Ninja Force. You use that steel to not only express but to also defend yourself. As a balance of both offense and defense, your weapons are a sword and shield, both being a part of your element. Iris, from this moment forth, you will be the kunoichi of metal."

Iris examined the sword and shield before her. It wasn't exactly something a ninja would normally use. The blade was definitely different from Kai's katana and Aria's daggers. The shield seemed simple with its plain round appearance but when the violet-eyed girl examined it more closely, the silver material was slightly embossed with a pattern slightly similar to the emblem on the ninja's current gi and at the very center of the shield was a symbol that looked like a simple pentagon.

Now that only left Lloyd. Wu saw how hopeful his nephew's expression was but alas, there were some harsh lessons he must learn.

"Lloyd, you were a very special individual since the day you were born and so is your element. I can't reveal it to you now."

"I didn't ask to be as different as I am already," Lloyd lamented, "I was hoping I would be accepted for who I am. I don't want to be special. If I didn't know better, my element is a curse."

"Some blessings don't initially appear as they are. You'll have to grow up some more before you truly understand your element. But you will still get the weapon you were meant to wield. You shall be the one to take up the sword." Wu showed his nephew the final weapon in his collection.

This sword was different from the two katana Kai now possessed and the one Iris now had. The broad blade had a slight curve unlike Iris' straight sword and was also larger and hanging from the pommel was a golden tassel. The green-eyed youth still had no idea what to make of using a sword. He used to think it'll be cool when he was a child. Now, he wasn't sure if that's what he thought anymore...

Wu understood some of his students' ambivalence over using weaponry at such a young age. It would seem strange leaving the safety of Ninjago to a group of adolescents but then again, he had witnessed even stranger events in the past.

"Now, the third step in the path to becoming a true ninja is to learn to use your weapons. Those days of exercise was to build up your strength so you can use them." Wu said.

"Do you really think these weapons will help us unlock our elements?" Aria asked.

"It will take some time for you to awaken your elements. Training will provide a way to unlock them."

"What if something happens before we master using our weapons?" Jay asked.

"Even I can't predict when Garmadon will make his first move. That's why you can't waste the time we have left to learn everything about the way of the ninja."

The young ninja still weren't sure what they were getting themselves into and each one of them had a different opinion on these changes. Some were looking forward to the next part of training and there were others who didn't think they have what it takes despite many days of training.

However, none of them can deny that nothing can delay the important things to come…

* * *

 **And there you have it! The ninja got their weapons and then we'll see them get their individual uniforms & mechs later.**

 **One of Wu's lines is a hint on the backstory of Ninjago City that'll show up later in this AU story. Kudos to those who find it. As always, your support means so much to me and keeps me going. I'll see you again & review!**


	12. Ninja in the Big City

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Nothing really big is going on in this chapter. I just want to show that there's still some humor in this story as well as show some more interactions. It's not much but please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Ninja in the Big City

Heather may have a new life as a kunoichi but she can never deny her roots. She continued working at Blossoming Memories, even if it'll give her less free time after school.

"Welcome." The young employee greeted when the doorbell jingled, even when her shift was nearing its end.

"Jay? I would've never guessed you'd come here." The kunoichi of nature was surprised by her fellow ninja's arrival.

"I figured… that I could spend some time in the city… You know… explore and stuff..." He said shyly.

Jay gazed at all the various flowers of the shop. He instinctively began searching for a flower that could match Nya and her strong will. He wanted to do something special for her ever since he began having these feelings and he didn't even know when those thoughts first popped up. But just one flower isn't good enough. He wanted to do something for her that no one else, not even Kai, could do.

Perhaps he could take Nya to Parsa one day. The famed Garden City was considered one of the most beautiful cities in all of Ninjago and since Nya did have a penchant for machines and gadgets and with Parsa also being very technologically advanced, maybe she'll like it. But then again, Parsa's culture was very different from Ninjago City's. As far as he knew, Nya never traveled far from her home and she'll get culture shock...

"Are you gonna pick something?" Heather asked him but before the scarfed boy can make a decision, the former's boss came to the storefront.

"Heather, you're finished for today. I'll see you tomorrow." The shopkeeper dismissed her for the day.

Both Heather and Jay left the shop and with nothing else on their agenda, they might as well start to get to know one another.

"What do you think will happen once we become ninja?" Jay asked.

"I don't know," Heather sighed, "All these changes in our lives will take a lot of time to process.

"I'm more concerned if I screw up. You've seen me training, right? I'm such a klutz, and what if I make a mistake and the bad guys win?"

"I understand your feelings over this but sometimes, you just have to go for it."

"Maybe you shouldn't focus so much on what others think. We've seen Iris walk around Ninjago High in nothing but Darling the Stars Shine Bright dresses, even with Chen and those cheerleading bitches insult her and she doesn't let them get to her and she's all the happier for it."

"But I'm not Iris..."

"No one else is. Everyone's unique and we all take things differently."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Heather sighed, unsure how to help Jay with his insecurities. The way he kept fretting over every little thing was starting to try the polite girl's patience. She didn't doubt Jay had some hidden talent but as harsh as it sounds, he'll never realize it with the way he's acting now.

"I'm sorry but I can't answer that for you. I'm sure everyone has heard this all the time. People make mistakes so we can learn from them."

"But I've done nothing but screw up and I never seem to be getting any better..."

"That's just being human," Heather rolled her dark blue eyes over how self-conscious Jay was, "What makes you feel like you have to compare yourself to others all the time?"

"I'm not sure… Maybe it's because I spent most of my childhood in Parsa… The people there were so nice to me but here… there's a lot of people who are mean..."

"I think I understand..." Heather can't deny there were some classmates who've made fun of her love for flowers and Mother Nature, "But you'll have to learn to stand up for yourself, especially now that we're ninja. Maybe Master Wu was on to something when he said you had potential. Unfortunately, I can't help you on that."

"I see… Well… I'll see you at the warehouse..."

Jay went on his own separate way… except he didn't watch his footing and got his foot caught on the curb, resulting in the klutz falling flat on his face on the pavement. Heather was just dumbfounded by the spectacle while onlookers laughed. She was sure Jay's face was redder than an overripe tomato by the way his ears peeking through his brown curls were already bright red.

Heather may be an idealist but even she felt Jay may need more than just a miracle if he's gonna prove himself as a competent ninja...

* * *

Aria wandered throughout Ninjago City and towards the Ignacia district. She's never been there before and sought to expand her horizons. The buildings were old-fashioned, befitting one of the oldest parts of the city. The young kunoichi then stopped at a large building that caught her eye.

The building's sign reading 'Ronin's Kendo School' loomed over the newly minted kunoichi of wind.

Aria knew she'll never be able to join, not even to perfect her skills in combat. Not only was qualifying for this prestigious school infamously difficult but she'll also have to learn to wield daggers rather than a katana. Her fighting style, if she develops one, will have to be very different. Still, she thought there will be no harm in observing how things work in the school.

Aria marched right into the building, wanting to see what went on within its walls. Many of the kendo apprentices were still getting ready and didn't have their helmets on.

The eponymous headmaster of the school stood before his pupils, giving praise to his best student.

'Kai…?'

There was no mistaking the identity of Ronin's greatest student yet. Those ridiculously spiky locks gave him away from the very start. The hotheaded teen soon donned his armor and got ready for practice. Aria was surprised by how efficient he was, even if his weapon was not genuine. No movements were wasted and his opponents can barely strike him.

It was only after today's training session was over when Kai realized his teammate was there.

"What are you doing here?" Kai asked almost curtly once he was ready to leave.

"I had nothing better to do..." Aria shrugged.

The ninja and kunoichi have been training together for some time but Kai still didn't know much about Aria. She still came off as way too impulsive and flighty. From what Nya said about her, she didn't have much sense of commitment and to him, that was a red flag.

"You _are_ aware of what will happen now that you're a kunoichi, are you?" Kai asked.

"Of course I do. It won't be easy. Nothing's ever easy, no matter how interested you are." Aria replied.

"I don't know what you think you'll get out of all this but being a ninja isn't all fun and games. It's not your personal getaway just because you can never stick to any ideas." The hothead snapped back.

"You're one to talk," The impetuous girl was provoked by Kai's criticisms, "You also don't know a whole lot about using a real sword."

"Hey! I'll have you know that Ronin calls me his greatest student!" The temperamental young man let the fire in him take control.

"It's still different from the real thing! You're just fighting with a bunch of sticks!" Aria fought back.

Kai never felt so offended in his life. He wasn't going to stand around and let Aria insult his ambitions and Ronin's teachings.

"You know what? We're gonna have a bet!" The fire ninja exclaimed.

"I'm listening..." His new teammate glared back at him but was willing to hear him out.

"Whoever masters their weapon first, the other will buy them an expensive dinner!"

"It's on!"

The temperamental teens' eyes were locked on one another in a fierce glare, not giving a damn over the random dramatic background music that literally came from nowhere.

* * *

Luna walked Lorelei through the streets of Ninjago City while listening to the latest hits by the various idols of Ninjago. She still had no idea what to make of being the kunoichi of sound. There was so much to take in and she was still processing it all. She still wanted to become an idol but she had her duties as a member of the Secret Ninja Force.

Which part of her is the real Luna Hoffman…?

'I guess my element is fitting… I've always loved music...'

But Luna still wasn't sure if she'll have what it takes. She joined out of her own free will when this all began. Now, she's starting to realize the saying 'be careful what you wish for' holds true. In return for finding some other purpose in life besides music, the hazel-eyed girl pretty much dug a deep hole and threw herself in it.

'Does Master Wu really think I could be a kunoichi? I have no idea how to use a sai or even pick up any sort of weapon...'

The kunoichi of sound continued her stroll but was so consumed by her emotions she was oblivious to her surroundings. She didn't even notice Lorelei refusing to budge and pulling on the leash when she nearly walked right into the road without looking.

"Watch out!" A familiar voice shouted and dragged her back, causing the timid girl to yelp.

"Zane…!" Luna gasped once she saw the face of the person who rescued her.

"It is against the law to walk across the street without looking both ways first." The android looked at his teammate with concern.

"I'm so sorry! I was being an idiot!" The aspiring idol reprimanded herself for being so foolhardy.

"Your actions are not a sign of a lack of intelligence. It was a simple mistake. Humans make mistakes." Zane said in his usual matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"If that's so… you're lucky to be a robot… Then you'll always be perfect in absolutely everything… You can do anything with the push of a button..." The music-loving girl felt slight envy towards the android.

"I do not consider myself as such," Zane shook his head, "I do not understand what this feeling is but… I feel being believed to be perfect is not something I would enjoy."

"Why not? I would love to be good at so many things..."

"But if one would be gifted in everything, it would make them… inhuman… I may be not be an organic human but I do not like the idea of it… I want to be just like you and to be treated just the same."

Luna was surprised by how deeply Zane wanted to fit in with humans and be seen as the same instead of being set apart just because he was made rather than being born as well as disliking the concept of being superior for the same reason. It was ironic how Luna saw the android as someone she'd like to be while Zane himself didn't want it and instead wished to have the ups _and_ downs of being human.

"May I hear you sing once more?" Zane asked almost all of a sudden.

"If you want..."

"Go ahead."

The kunoichi of sound decided to hum a little tune rather than really sing. Zane listened with interest. Apparently, humans can even change their own voices, something he can't do because of his limited speaker functions. He can't even attempt to sing without the auto-tune effects installed within him to automatically activate or his slight echo distorting his voice. It was those little things about themselves humans take for granted that made the android envious of them.

"Your talent in singing fascinates me," The robot said once she was done, "Your voice truly is a gift."

"I get that a lot… I guess that's one of the reasons why I want to become an idol… Getting to share my voice to the world and having my songs put a smile on everyone's faces… It probably sounds ridiculous to you but the idea of it appealed to me when I was just a little girl… and it still does..."

"Not at all. I understand that desire because I also want to make people smile. I take care of my father by myself and seeing his smile in the end makes all the effort worthwhile. If I can do that for everyone, then maybe I will be seen as one of them..."

Luna felt her envy grow but wanted to change the subject out of fear it'll consume her.

"What do you think about using weapons?" She asked the android.

"The concept of even myself using a weapon is a subject that has never appeared within my thought programming. However, I seek to understand and master it too. My father told me he originally built me to protect those who can't protect themselves. My understanding of his true motives are still very limited so I plan to seek the truth." Zane said.

"I'll be honest… I'm still scared… I wish I could have a switch so I can never feel fear..."

"Luna, please do not take your emotions for granted. They are an integral part of your humanity."

"Why would you be telling me these things?"

"Because I… want to be like you… I wish to feel so many different emotions and possess my very own thoughts… But because I am a robot… no one believes I can… I do not like it…"

"I… I never thought about how you'd feel about all that… I'm sorry..."

"There are no need for apologies. I sincerely hope we will come to an understanding with each other and with our teammates as well."

It was ironic how Luna and Zane wanted to be like the other. But perhaps that was why both of them were chosen to be part of the Secret Ninja Force. Not only will they discover more about themselves. They may also know what it's truly like to be a person...

* * *

Cole now understood why Lloyd considered the rooftop of the school his sanctuary away from home. Here, he could listen to his tunes as loud as he wants with no one around to complain. The thumping bass reverberated and the guitar riffs echoed across the whole rooftop. But the strong teen still heard someone calling his name but it was almost completely drowned out by his music to the point he was sure that nagging voice was all just in his head...

"COLE!"

The earth ninja groaned in aggravation. He thought he was finally free from all criticism but that voice turned out to be real.

"It's you..." Cole rolled his eyes when he saw it was just Kai.

"The others are busy and I'm bored." The hothead complained like a child.

"I don't mind extra company." Cole moved aside so his teammate can have a place to sit.

The duo sat and watched the world go by, the same world they'll have to protect one day. Kai quickly grew uncomfortable by the only noise being his teammate's music. Whenever there was company, he always felt a need to have a conversation with others.

"So… what have you been up to?"

"What do you think of the weapons we got? I think it's safe to say getting them was the best day of my life!" Kai boasted.

"Whoa there. I wouldn't want to hang out with someone who sounds like a lunatic."

"I'm not gonna do that sort of stuff. Wielding the katana was something I've wanted to do all my life."

"What made you want to do it?"

"My parents fought some of the battles during the Warring Era. My father was said to be the greatest warrior when it came to wielding the katana. I always wanted to be like him."

"Having hopes and dreams are nice… especially if your parents support them..." The usually calm ninja frowned when his thoughts drifted to the only family he knew.

"Why? Wait… Don't tell me your parents are being assholes!" Kai felt his big brother instincts tingle. It wasn't just Lloyd and Nya he was fiercely protective of.

"No. It's just me and my dad. He and I can never agree on anything and he hates anyone who's not the exact same as him, which is pretty much everyone. He'd hate all of you."

"And what about your mom?"

Cole was usually a man of few words but the silence was a bit unsettling.

"My mom died before I could have any memories of her." Cole finally answered, shattering the lengthy silence but only made the atmosphere even more tense.

"Whoa… I-I didn't know… I'm sorry..." Kai was shocked to learn that Cole's mother had left this world already. Coming from a tight-knit family, he knew he'll never understand what his friend went through. Being unable to help his friends was what the hot-blooded teen loathed more than anything.

"It's fine. Moping about the past won't make a difference."

"Anyway, what do you think about being ninja and getting our very own weapons?"

"I don't have much of an opinion yet… Though I do think using a hammer's pretty cool…"

"And before we know it, we'll be facing off with the Shark Army. I bet we'll kick ass!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Cole reminded his impatient friend, "We still have a long way to go if we have to become ninja and succeed in keeping Ninjago safe from Garmadon…"

"Man, why do you all have to keep acting like this is all a bad idea!?"

Cole was slightly bemused by Kai's hotheadedness. He certainly matched his element but that left him wondering how he fit in with his own.

He did enjoy helping others but is that all? Why else would he be the ninja of earth?

Cole didn't bother trying to find an answer now. He knew he didn't have the answers but it seems that pressing on will be the only way to find them...

* * *

Jay fumbled with his possessions while he was getting ready to go home after a day at the auto club. He cursed his perpetual clumsiness trying to fit everything in his backpack without wrecking them. He did eventually get all his things packed up and was on his way down the halls when he saw a stream of light coming from the bottom of one of the doors. Letting curiosity cloud his judgement, the timid boy slowly opened the door just a tiny bit.

"Zane…?" Jay was surprised to see his robot friend sitting in the middle of the classroom all by himself.

"Greetings, friend." The android turned to his fellow ninja wearing that same unusual smile of his.

"What are you doing?" The lightning ninja let his curiosity get the better of him.

"I am displaying movies for the audiovisual club." Zane answered, his smile never leaving his face.

"But there's no- oh..." Jay was puzzled by the lack of equipment at first but remembered why a robot wouldn't need them for this kind of stuff.

Zane was pretty much his very own projector with his eyes acting as the lens. His unnaturally pale blue eyes glowed and the lights illuminating them flickered as he sat and stared at the screen displaying a montage of old time black-and-white cartoons.

"So… is there anyone else in your club…?" Jay found it strange that there was no one else in the room.

"I am the founder... and only member."

"...That's… kinda sad..."

"There are some moments where I find the club to be lonely. No one else in Ninjago High has shown any indications of interest in joining. Would you like to be the second member?"

"Sorry, but I'm already in the auto club…"

"Being a full-fledged member may not be necessary. I will be pleased to simply have company."

"But I'm already heading home."

"May I accompany you?"

"I live at the very edge of the city so it may take a while. You won't mind the long trip, will you?"

"Not at all."

* * *

The duo strolled through the city and Jay even found time to buy some soda. Even while everyone else found Zane creepy for simply being who he was, Jay was always fascinated by the android.

"Your dad must be a genius to create you." Jay started.

"Yes. My father was a renowned engineer in his prime." Zane accepted his teammate's praise.

"I did wonder what it would be like to be an actual robot when I was little."

"I do have a variety of functions installed in my programming, from storing images and files within my database to night vision. I recall you have an affinity for inventions, correct?"

"Yeah. It's something I've enjoyed all my life though I am a bit of a tech addict in general. It's probably from my parents. They've been working as engineers even before I was born and they also like to stay up to date with the latest technology. The other day, my dad brought each of us a selfie stick."

"Yes. I have seen many humans take photos of themselves through their phones... Kai told me that is what a selfie is… and he made this claim that the girls who do it all the time are… basic bitches."

Jay did a massive spit take upon hearing the sweet android say that kind of word. He tried to talk but all he could do was sputter incoherent nonsense through his coughing fit.

"I am sorry but have I said something wrong?" Zane tilted his head but it only made the robot appear even more childlike.

The lightning ninja had absolutely no idea what to say. Zane was very intelligent but at the same time, incredibly naive, a strange contrast in the already unusual being.

"N-not at all..." Jay wheezed once he caught his breath, "W-when did Kai t-teach you that word…?"

"During our training sessions with Master Wu? Why? Is it bad?"

"No… I didn't expect you to say it..."

"But it is vital for me to expand my word database so I can communicate with you in an efficient way."

Zane had no idea why Jay was acting all jittery… well, more than usual…

Could it be that, even if he was male, Jay too was a basic bitch…?

…

Maybe.

* * *

 **I know it's not much but I want to devote some time to the ninja's interactions to round out their characters. I also realized… this is the very first chapter without Lloyd. I said it before, I want this story to have an ensemble cast rather than focusing on just him. As for giving the ninja time to interact, do you think it's a good decision or not? Please let me know & as always, reviews are highly appreciated.**


	13. True Strength

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Things have been a bit busy for me but I managed to squeeze in some time to whip up another chapter of Discovering Destiny. Again, there's gonna be more interactions with the ninja while they also start training with real weapons. We're getting closer to the real action so bear with me just a little longer & enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 12: True Strength

Wu sensed the mixed feelings of his apprentices even before today's training session started.

Today was the day they'll finally begin training with actual weapons.

He understood some of his students' excitement… and the others' hesitation.

"You have learned enough of the way of the ninja and built up the strength you'll need to start using your new weapons. However, that won't make the learning process and your training any easier. Only those who are physically and mentally prepared will succeed in becoming full-fledged ninja."

"I'm the top student of Ronin's Kendo School! I got this!" Kai bragged.

"The doctrines you have learned from Ronin are not the exact same as what you will learn here. The way of the sword alone is different from the way of the ninja."

"So… um… how does this thing work…?" Jay stared at his kusarigama. The small sickle slowly dangled to and fro from its chain like a pendulum. The tech-loving boy can see how the other weapons can be used but he just had to be assigned to the one weapon in which he had not a single inkling on how it will function in battle.

"I also don't know how to use these." Luna complained while holding up her sai for all to see.

"And how will I be able to fight with this heavy thing?" It took more than a little effort for Heather to lift her mace despite many days of exercise up until now.

"The quest for knowledge is never a short distance. But Garmadon is known to be ruthless. Because of that, not a single step must be wasted. The time to master your weapons start now."

Most of the new ninja still weren't sure what to make of all this. But Wu saw the potential they have yet to discover. First, they'll need to see how this part of training works before they can get started. At least one of them has had prior experience beforehand.

"Kai, due to your prior experiences with the sword, you may show a demonstration of the skills you've learned from Ronin." Wu goaded the fire ninja to try out his weapon first.

"It'll be my pleasure!" The fiery youth was ready even before his old mentor asked.

Kai remembered the lessons his kendo teacher taught him and positioned himself in the center of the warehouse. The hot-blooded teen waited until his heartbeat was steady before he swung his first real blade for the very first time. Just like in kendo practice, not a single movement was wasted. Each and every swing of his sword was fueled by the fire burning deep inside him. He swung the katana with a ferocity that could rival the inferno of the underworld.

Kai heard his teammates commend his skill and while he usually felt completely reassured by praise, he had this strange feeling deep inside him that his expertise right now wasn't good enough. He felt a need to push himself further, to go where no other swordsman has ever gone before.

'Maybe I'll be the first person to wield two katana at once...' The fire ninja thought to himself briefly…

Wu, having observed Kai's swordsmanship with keen eyes, sensed that his quick-tempered student will have to work out his emotions before becoming a true master of the katana.

"Your display is a testimony with your expertise in using the katana but that alone isn't enough. Being a ninja is more than using weapons and learning obscure techniques. You do remember you're doing this not just to protect Ninjago but to also know who you truly are, right?"

The young ninja recalled their teacher often telling them being a ninja wasn't all about playing 'hero'. They also wanted to know more about themselves and that was the real reason most of them agreed to become ninja in the first place.

"Kai, I'll tell you again. You have a fire burning within you. Whether that flame will protect others… or burn everything in its path… That all depends on your actions." Wu lectured his short-tempered pupil before turning to the other ninja.

"But every one of you," The old man inspected all of his students, "You must grow accustomed to your weapons and soon master them and to do that, you'll also have to seek and maintain inner balance."

"I have a question." Iris spoke up.

"Do not feel shame for seeking answers." Wu allowed his female apprentice to continue.

"Kai, Lloyd, and I all have to use a sword and it's practically the same thing. I still don't see how having three ninja using a sword will be… 'unique'..."

"Not every single sword are alike. The shapes of Kai's katana and Lloyd's broadsword are different. So is the blade you now hold. Plus, you will also carry your shield. Even two people using the very same weapon can still possess a different fighting style. As for you, your fighting style matches the strength I sense within you, much like how Kai's display from earlier is fueled by the flames within him. Metal is a strong element that can't be moved so easily but can serve multiple purposes. That is why you have not only a sword but a shield too. You can fight off enemies but also offer protection."

"And how does my sword match my element, whatever it is?" Lloyd chimed in, "That still doesn't help me at all."

"One day, you will understand your element but today is not that day. We can't waste any more time, yet we can't rush either. Everything takes time so you shouldn't take the time we have left for granted while also making the most of them. Don't put off for tomorrow what can be done today."

"You've told us that already." Lloyd deadpanned… only to get smacked by his uncle's staff.

"Have I not made myself clear when I said that the first time?" Wu retorted, "No one likes a repetitive story. Is that how yours is going to be?"

The ninja youth still had no idea what his relative was going on about. He was talking like this was all some sort of media like a movie or novel.

Still, the only way to find answers is to keep training for now...

* * *

During break, Lloyd went straight to building his mechanical dragon. So far, he managed to build parts of its foundation but it's gonna be quite a while before his mech will be complete. But the flow of time has a funny way of moving much faster when he was doing something he wholeheartedly enjoy.

"How's your pet project going?" Aria popped up from out of nowhere, causing the green-eyed ninja to let out a hilariously high-pitched yelp that certainly got the attention of the other ninja.

"Aria! Don't do that!" The look on the young ninja's face was priceless.

"Sorry! I couldn't resist!" The kunoichi of wind wheezed out in between giggles.

"You don't even sound sorry!" Lloyd complained, his blush making his outburst all the more comical.

Once the flighty girl caught her breath, she leaned over to look at Lloyd's work again. For someone so young, his knowledge with machines were surprisingly vast and it showed. If Aria hadn't known Lloyd built the parts before her himself, she would've assumed they were done by a certified engineer.

"That's amazing…!" Aria stared in wide-eyed wonder at her teammate's contraptions.

"I know it's not much but what do you think?" Lloyd blushed, still not used to getting compliments.

"I gotta say, I would've never expected you to be so passionate about this kind of stuff..."

"I just like building things and getting creative..." Lloyd shrugged.

"When did you find out you liked that sort of stuff?" Aria asked.

"I'm not sure if it was before or after… My mom got me a toy ship for my birthday a long time ago… It came in little pieces and even had a bunch of little figures… I thought it was the best present ever and I couldn't stop building and assembling the ship… But my favorite part about it was making a bunch of different things with those pieces…"

"What kind of things did you make?"

"I made a house, robot, and even a truck. I loved making different things with just the same bricks. It felt like a whole bunch of worlds opened up for me to explore… But one day, I took it to show and tell as a dragon and the other kids got mad and said nasty things like 'That's not how it's supposed to be!' and 'You did it all wrong!' I was so upset I nearly threw it away..."

"Then what happened…?"

"My mom said 'It doesn't have to be a ship. These pieces let you create anything you want. They'll let you discover all kinds of possibilities. That is the beauty of creativity.' From that moment on, I decided to just make whatever I want. There was no right or wrong way in bringing my ideas to life.

"Your mom must be a very amazing woman… She raised you all by herself and probably also has to go through all kinds of hell because she married Garmadon..."

"Probably..." Lloyd thought back on all the things his mother did for him, yet he only got caught up in his issues over his father's absence.

"You seem to have a clear picture on what you want to do with your life…

"I wouldn't be saying that," Lloyd sighed, "I would like to have a career in building stuff but that's not all I want… I found things that made me happy but I can never forget that my dad was never there for me… And because of him, everyone else despises me..."

"But you're lucky you still have ideas for your future… I still don't know what I want to do… In a way… That's why I decided to join you guys..."

"I know that feeling… I want to know if I truly am someone other than my father's son… I don't want to be seen as just that… but I don't know much of myself beyond my parentage…"

Aria knew what Lloyd was talking while at the same time, couldn't quite understand the whole thing. She never went through the kind of prejudice the young ninja faced his whole life. While some school peers also looked down on her and her capricious nature, it wasn't the exact same...

"Enough about the past," Lloyd set his issues aside for the moment, "So, do you think these mechs are a good idea?"

"Yeah! I think using them to help us in battle would be awesome!"

"Do you have any designs in mind?"

"Master Wu called me the kunoichi of wind so I've been thinking something airborne would suit me. I still have so many designs in my head, I can't decide on an exact design..."

"I already have plans for my dragon to fly too. I don't know if the Shark Army are planning to build any jets or the like but having some extra air force might tip the scale in our favor."

"But how are you going to do all that by yourself? If we're each gonna have a mech, that'll make it ten. No offense, but I don't think you'll be able to do all that..."

"I got Jay and Nya to help out. They also like building stuff so they also know a thing or two about this sort of stuff."

"Are you sure? Even with them, that's still a lot of work..."

"Trust me. This is something I really want to do."

Aria had a feeling nothing will stop Lloyd from building these mechs. He always had that enthusiastic sparkle in his green eyes whenever he was working on them and that made her feel… envious.

Aria still couldn't find that thing in her life that'll make that sparkle appear in _her_ eyes.

But in a way, that made her not too different from the son of Garmadon...

* * *

Now it was Zane's turn to start training with his weapon.

Zane kept his optics on the targets before him as he got ready to start training with his bow. The robot calculated how high he must hold up his bow and felt the directions of the occasional breeze. His gaze was constantly fixated on the targets, always keeping at least one in of them in the center of his vision, as if he was always meant to do so. It was only after he sensed his chance of success was at least sixty percent did he let loose the arrows and let them fly.

All the arrows managed to hit their targets and the ones that didn't hit the exact center were still very close. The android's teammates were surprised by his amazing marksmanship even when without any prior experience with his weapon.

"That was amazing!" Iris was awestruck by the robot's potent skill with the bow.

"How did you do that?" Nya asked, hoping to be just as good with her spear soon.

"I simply took the best course of action according to my calculations. However, I am surprised none of the arrows missed. The moment I saw my targets, I was completely fixated on them. It is almost as if a targeting feature has been installed within me from the very beginning." Zane answered...

...Yet deep down, the android wasn't wholly delighted by his results.

He was too perfect… Not at all like a human… Or a person…

"Are you interested in going next?" Zane turned his optics on the kunoichi of nature.

"I don't know if I'll be able to master mine. It's too unwieldy." Heather stared at her weapon.

"I designated each weapon to the individual fighting styles each of you will hone. Heather, you already displayed a steadfast approach in your training up to this point. The mace was used and mastered by those who fought by maintaining their ground. Even you have potential. I've seen the way each of you have persevered through your training up to this point. The willow appears delicate but it possesses a hidden strength that allows it to withstand even the harshest storm. Such strength and endurance can only be achieved through time and patience." Wu lectured the unsure kunoichi.

"I shall help you, Heather." Zane stepped in.

"I don't want to be a burden..." Heather dismissed him.

"It is part of my programming to help others but even if it was never there, it is also something I truly want to do." Before the mace wielder could protest, he stood right behind her to offer support.

"As Master Wu stated, you need to maintain a steady posture."

'Stay steady like the willow...' Heather told herself while tightening her grip on the mace.

The kunoichi of nature tried to hold the weapon like a baseball bat. Zane laid his hands over hers and helped her find her footing and waited until everyone was out of its range and let go. Heather's hands shook under the weight of the mace but she kept firm grip and swung with all the strength she could muster. Unfortunately, the heavy weight of the mace threw her off balance and she spun clumsily and the weapon hit the floor, the sound from the impact leaving a massive echo.

"I-I'm sorry..." The kunoichi of nature sighed.

"Our training has only just begun. It will take much more than one training session to master wielding a mace or any weapon in general." Zane tried to reason with her.

"Then I'll just have to push myself harder," Heather vowed, "I can't rest until I know I'm strong enough to fight with this thing..."

"Training is important but to do so without time to recuperate would be unwise."

The duo were oblivious to themselves walking away from the group. The ever cynical Lloyd rolled his eyes at Iris and Luna's suspiciously ecstatic expressions.

"You're lucky to have an easy weapon and being good at it on the first try..." Heather spoke once she and Zane were alone.

"I honestly did not like that I did better than even I had calculated. I want to develop my skills instead of being able to do everything automatically. Perhaps I will convene a discussion with my father over some of my functioning and see if there is any possibilities to modify them."

"But won't that be risky?" Heather was astonished by her teammate's words, "What if doing that will cause unwanted changes, such as your memories being wiped out, or something worse?"

"I am aware of that...," Zane sighed, "There are times… I wish I was not the way I am..."

"I am also ashamed by my desires… By harboring them, I am being ungrateful to my father… He made me the way I am to protect others as well as making my own experiences… He went through so much for me only to not be appreciated for it…"

Zane

"Does that make me a bad… being…?"

"Of course not. Every human has their ups and downs… I hate to admit it but I do, too… I may not look like it but I get really upset whenever things don't go the way I expect them to..."

"I have seen that with the way you reacted to your first attempt to wield a mace..."

"I think I should ask for a different weapon."

"Heather, I believe Master Wu has his reasons for assigning you to a mace. I sense a firm will dwelling deep within you."

The kunoichi of nature wanted to believe Zane but remained doubtful because even the mightiest trees can fall...

* * *

Nya swung her spear in wide swipes and used powerful thrusts to stab her targets. The weapon was a little heavier than she expected but that didn't stop her from giving her training nothing less than her very best effort. The strong-willed girl was often considered by her peers to be the best in everything she did and she was intent on doing the same as the kunoichi of water. Iris watched her train, amazed by the Hinata sister's performance. Like her brother, Nya never wasted a single movement

Wu also watched the sister of fire's passionate drive to be the Lady Iron Dragon of her generation. But like Kai, she could easily lose sight of what it truly means to be a ninja. As much as the young kunoichi idolized Lady Iron Dragon, she'll have to learn that no matter how efficient she'll be in combat or how many battles she wins, becoming just like her hero is impossible.

"Nya, never lose sight of who you truly are. No matter what you do or what will happen, you'll never be Lady Iron Dragon. The warrior you aspire to be became that way not because of her skills in battle but because of the person she was deep down, those traits that set her apart from other women. All of us are different and those differences will always set you apart from your hero. Part of being a ninja is to discover who you truly are. You can only be what no one else can. Never forget that." Wu warned the kunoichi of water.

Nya knew her mentor was right… but that made her unhappy… It's true she'll never be the exact same as Lady Iron Dragon… Still, it drove her to be the best she can be…

What other motivation did she have besides that…?

"What is it about Iron Lady Dragon that makes you wanna be like her?" Iris asked Nya after she ended her training.

"She was my favorite role model since I was a little girl. My parents told Kai and me stories of how she led them and won many of the battles they've fought together. Not only that but she was also said to be very kind outside of battle. That earned her the respect of everyone around her, even Garmadon. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to prove myself in everything from schoolwork to sports."

"Is there anything more to Lady Iron Dragon than that?"

"Not only was Lady Iron Dragon a total badass but she was never afraid to make any decisions... even if it meant marrying the worst guy ever… But I still wonder why, after so many accomplishments, she faded so quickly into history, as if she never existed. I personally found it strange that such an amazing woman would disappear all of a sudden..."

"It is a bit of a mystery..."

"Is something wrong?" Nya observed the way Iris kept shifting in her seat as if she was uncomfortable.

Iris felt a little embarrassed for thinking she and Nya would've never been able to get along. She was a fierce tomboy while she was the epitome of 'feminine' and maintained a dainty appearance.

"I'm sorry if I sound rude but I find it a bit strange that you and I are able to have a civil conversation. You're really cool and tough while I'm what you'd call a girly girl." Iris blushed while she confessed her inner concern.

"Don't worry about us being different. Every single girl has their own interests. I have nothing against girly things or anything traditionally feminine. I just don't like it when they're forced down my throat." Nya assured the kunoichi of metal that she accepted her differences.

"I understand that. But what I don't like are those… 'strong female characters'… I can't stand how they always talk down on girls who like to wear dresses and say other girls will never amount to anything if they cry or giggle a lot. You can't force an entire gender to be the exact same."

"I actually don't like them either. Those 'strong female characters' don't represent real girls. Saying the only way for a girl to be strong is to be an emotionless blob and to act like a guy defeats that purpose. Every girl is different and can be a badass in different ways. You were willing to sit with Lloyd and get to know him even when everybody else hates him. If that isn't courageous, I don't know what is."

"But there was all that stuff that happened..."

"Yeah. Schools are always full of assholes. But seriously, once the next big thing happens, they'll forget all about that incident."

"What if that next big thing is us as ninja?"

"I don't know for certain. Garmadon may have some sort of plot up his sleeve and do something first. I don't like waiting for so long… I hope we'll find answers soon..."

Iris also wanted to know what the future will hold for her and the ninja…

What kind of future that will be… there's only one way to find out…

* * *

 **As you can see with Iris & Nya's conversation, I've come to hate 'strong female characters' for the same reasons. I find them to be all the same & nothing more than a bunch of unlikable bitches.**

 **With that out of my chest, I have some plans I'm excited to write out in the next chapter & reviews are appreciated.**


	14. Family Ties

**Discovering Destiny**

 **In this chapter, we'll just look into the family lives of some of the ninja & Garmadon finally makes another real appearance in the story. Hopefully, the ninja will really get into action in a few chapters so bear with me a little longer & read on.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Family Ties

Zane remained silent, unsure if he should reveal his misgivings over being a robot to his father. He still felt like that would be an act of betrayal and he didn't want to get rid of the gratitude he felt for being brought to this world. The humanoid merely watched his father eat another of his homemade meals, blissfully unaware of his son's internal dilemma.

"Zane, is something bothering you?" Dr. Julien noticed that his son would point his optics downward and nowhere else. He was always a quiet person but the silence tonight had an uneasy tension.

The ice ninja didn't like having any negative feelings towards his father nor did he like keeping secrets from him. He felt his father had every right to know how he felt regarding his differences.

"Father… I am not satisfied with the way I am currently..." Zane answered after moments of silence.

"I know what it's like to be looked down on simply for being who you are. I was bullied just because I was being who I am. Now tell me, why are you so upset?" The former engineer kept asking questions.

"I am facing those same issues in school… However, that is not the main cause of my concerns..." The android hesitated, still fearful of how his father will react to his growing resentment.

"What is it? No matter what others say, you _are_ my son. I would do anything, _anything_ , to make sure you'll find happiness. Please, tell me what troubles you so I can fix it."

The humanoid's concerns of sounding ungrateful still haunted him. He also loathed causing distress for his father but he must choose.

Should he forever conceal his secrets in exchange for his father's happiness or express his true feelings and make all those years of hard work go to waste?

Whichever choice he makes, both of them can't be happy at the same time...

"Zane, please tell me what's bothering you." Dr. Julien pleaded his son to answer.

Zane hesitated, something he rarely did.

"Father… I do not want to 'function'… I want to truly live..." He finally confessed his inner turmoil.

"What do you mean? You're already alive." His father was confused but still concerned for his child.

"I exist… but not on the same level as humans… or a person… I can already do what takes years for any human to master. I do not like that. I am already very different simply for not being an organic person. I do not want to be any more different than I already am. Instead of having a variety of skills installed within me, I want to actually learn them. I can never truly make my own experiences if I am unable to learn and build my own skills."

"What are you really trying to say?"

"Father, there are some functions within me that I wish was uninstalled. I have been seen as superior and I do not want that either. I want to live just like real humans."

"What kind of functions?"

"Perhaps you could modify my programming so I will have to find ways to solve my problems without constant reliance on my database..."

"So you don't like the vast knowledge I've given you?"

"...I have been seen as superior because of my programming but I do not want that… I am sorry..."

A deep frown appeared on the old engineer's face, as if to confirm Zane's fears. He had disappointed his father for building him into the android he is today. But suddenly, his father's face changed into an expression full of understanding.

"Don't ever apologize for having feelings. Every emotion you feel, from joy to rage, they are all part of being a person. I won't hold any grudges against you for feeling what you feel right now." He reassured his son.

"But I do not feel like a person… I want to be able to learn on the same level as humans and take part in the lessons they learn in life… That is… if I even _have_ a life..."

"You _do_ have a life," Dr. Julien affirmed his beliefs, "I created you so you can experience a life amongst humans. I made you to learn and experience every lesson in life."

"But I am still separate from them… This life I lead right now… It is not what I want..."

Dr. Julien was old but when it came to helping his son feel like he truly belonged, he had just enough energy in him to make that happen, even if it meant undoing some of the hard work he had done for many years. He was that devoted to his one and only child.

"If being modified is what you truly want… I'll see what I can do..." He proposed.

"Thank you... Father..."

* * *

Conflict was just another everyday happenstance in the Charbonneau mansion. It was something the laid-back Cole had come to terms with but didn't accept, not that he'll tell his father.

"Cole! You've been gone since this morning! Are you up to something?" Lou interrogated his son upon his return from his now lengthier days away from home.

"My friends and I are having study sessions. Exams are coming soon." Cole had no qualms about lying to his father. He's been doing it for years and that was how he even managed to get away from him at all. Otherwise, he would've been brainwashed into a clone of his parent.

"Those grades better be impressive! At least you'll be good at something!"

Cole rolled his eyes at his father's derisive words and locked himself in his room, the only place where he felt comfortable in this oversized hellhole. This was his personal sanctuary, filled with posters and memorabilia of many of his favorite bands, usually rock, instead of ostentatious furniture like the rest of this glorified prison.

His loud bass-filled ringtone went off just before he can finally take his mind off his father.

It was a message from Jay. He sure had a way of being a chatterbox even without using his voice.

'Cole, Kai and I are gonna see a movie! You wanna come?' The lightning ninja invited him to a day out but after the earlier argument with his father already did wonders for his mood.

'I'm not in the mood. Maybe some other time.' Cole texted back and left without waiting for a reply.

Even if it was getting late, the earth ninja thought of only one place to go.

The only other room in the mansion Cole didn't mind being in was the makeshift gym. Being a dancer, Lou reserved the room so he can stay in shape and then wanted his son to do the same. But the earth ninja never used this gym to hone his dance moves. He spent much of his days here lifting weights and working out to release his stress. As one can tell by his large musculature, he had a lot of stress he had let out on a daily basis.

While lifting some of the dumbbells, Cole's mind drifted to the people in his life.

It's said that family was the most important relationship to a person...

But would that saying still hold true if the only family he had was a pretentious demanding father who didn't have a single ounce of care or concern for him other than following in his footsteps?

Parents are supposed to be loving and supportive and he never felt that with his father.

As for his mother… he'll never know for certain… Though he often wondered what she ever saw in his father… It'll probably be forever one of life's biggest mysteries...

The earth ninja's thoughts then drifted to his friends he now trained alongside.

They weren't family but they understood and accepted him much more than his father. Scratch that. His father didn't accept him at all and he never will. His friends were all he needed.

He was probably friends with Lloyd because they had more in common than they realized. The earth ninja understood the struggles of having father he didn't want to end up emulating in every way and was judged and seen for just some aspects of themselves rather than a whole. All they wanted was to be accepted for who they really were.

Underneath his cool demeanor and large muscles, Cole wasn't as strong as even he believed.

Cole often thought of running away but as much as he wanted to, he knew that'll lead to more trouble than what it's worth and only a selfish coward would do that. Running away from his problems won't make them disappear, even with that grossly overrated princess movie saying otherwise. Becoming a ninja may have added to his problems but he still won't back down. He may not be as strong as people say he was but he was still rock solid. He knew where his loyalty lies and it's with his friends. Nothing will stop him from fulfilling his duty, no matter what happens… or what it will be...

* * *

Garmadon inspected his nautical-themed henchmen rushing to complete their various weapons and vessels that'll be utilized in the warlord's conquest for Ninjago.

"I want all the mechanical sharks done before the end of the month!" He commanded, "We've been doing nothing but build, build, build! Ninjago's not gonna conquer itself you know!"

The Shark Army were working as fast as they can to build a variety of mechanisms. Their overlord was extremely demanding and wanted nothing less than utter perfection. He even threatened to shoot any failures out of the volcano even before they can set out on their first mission. The dark lord stormed to his office where his spies delivered the latest news regarding anything that may oppose him.

"My lord, our spies have picked up rumors that Master Wu is scheming to overthrow your plans," One of his goons reported, "It's suspected that he's forming some sort of top secret organization."

"What!? That old man has been a thorn on my side since the day we were born!" Garmadon's blood boiled just thinking about his nosy brother.

"I-it's just a rumor, s-sir! We d-don't know for certain!"

"Then keep looking until you _are_ certain!"

The dark lord's few remaining henchmen shivered in their seats, fearful of his explosive temper.

"Now go away! I need my 'bad guy remembering happier times' time."

The Shark Army members wasted no time rushing out the door. Finally, Garmadon was able to have a moment of solitude. The dark lord took a sip of searing hot coffee through his '#1 Dad' mug, because he _is_ the greatest dad in all of Ninjago. Seriously, is there anyone else in Ninjago who has a dad living in a volcano and is leader of the massive Shark Army?

But there was one problem…

He never saw his little Luh-Loyd since that fateful day, when all his hopes and dreams of being a father was taken away so suddenly, and by his own wife no less. However, as much as he resented his spouse for ruining his one chance to have a truly happy family, he can never bring himself to actually hate her. Just thinking about her brought up all those precious memories he made with his wife, from facing her when they first met to their wedding which he will not go into in case there are sensitive viewers.

If he manages to take over Ninjago, maybe those happier days can come back.

He can finally be with his wife just like before...

Then… he can finally be a father to Luh-Loyd.

Garmadon secretly wondered if his son will recognize him. True, his face can be seen on every single TV in Ninjago whenever he hacked into the network but Luh-Loyd never saw him in person ever since they were separated.

Also, he had no idea what his son looked like now.

Did he still have those bright green eyes full of hope and life?

Or have they become red like his, filled with the bloodlust that ruled his emotions everyday?

There were many questions Garmadon had regarding his son and how much he may have changed. All he knew was that the answers lie within the city. Once he conquers Ninjago, not only will he become the most powerful man alive but he'll finally find those answers...

* * *

Lloyd was on his way home after another day of training. The sun had already set and because Ninjago City had such a large population, there was bound to be some seedy people who usually come out at night. The young ninja made sure not to stay still for too long as he made his way through the streets.

The man was grabbing the woman in a way that was clearly uncomfortable to her. Being in one of the tight alleys near the edge of the city, there was no one to hear her cries for help.

"Keep screaming!" The sleazy creep taunted his victim, "I love hearing the cries of a pretty girl!"

Having been recently tasked to protect Ninjago in the future, Lloyd's instincts told him to put a stop to the harassment going on before him. However, he had just enough common sense to know he doesn't have the strength to really fight back. The young ninja didn't have his sword with him due to his uncle not allowing any weapons to leave their base or their secret will be revealed. Still, he can't just sit back and let that creep do whatever he wants with any pretty face he sees.

Lloyd's instinct to do the right thing quickly took over.

"Leave her alone!"

Lloyd did the first (and craziest) thing that came in his mind. He lunged at the assailant, throwing him away from the woman and sending them tumbling on the ground. The ninja held down the man with as much strength as he could muster before he gave up like the dirty coward he really was.

"I'll get you next time, brat..." The creep muttered as he stumbled away.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" Lloyd grabbed the civilian's hand to help her up.

"T-thank you so much! I -" She stammered until she caught his face that was free from his hood from the skirmish.

The fear in the woman's eyes instantly morphed into hatred once she looked at her supposed savior, Lloyd Garmadon, the only child of the evil warlord bent on taking over Ninjago.

"I didn't ask to be saved by _you_!" She snatched her hand away from the outcast like he was diseased, shoved him aside, and stormed off as if the skirmish never happened.

Lloyd wasn't too surprised by her ingratitude. No matter what he does, he'll always be seen as simply the son of Garmadon. He started to wonder if being a ninja will really be worth it or if it's really going to make any difference with where he stands in society. The people will only like his ninja persona and continue to despise the true Lloyd Garmadon. If he ever revealed himself, all that adoration will vanish and they'll be as grateful as that woman from earlier.

'Why should I be saving these people after all they've done to me?' Lloyd bitterly asked himself.

All the people in Ninjago City besides his friend ever did was shun and bully him. If that's how they'll always treat him, then he should give them a piece of his mind and do likewise.

It wasn't just the safety of Ninjago that necessitates the Secret Ninja Force. Lloyd remembered he was doing this to seek answers to himself. However, that still opened up a lot of other questions. He even began to consider the possibility that the answers he's looking for will be something he won't like.

What if he really is like his father?

And is he truly more than his father's son?

There were so many questions... but no answers...

* * *

The tight-knit Hinata family ate their dinner of ginger pork while spending time together, talking about many things from how Kai and Nya's day in school was to Ray and Maya reminiscing about the past.

"One time, I happened upon a couple of Lord Garmadon's henchmen disguised as ordinary men. I saw through them because they had that deceitful look in their eyes." Maya felt herself go back to the past when she was renowned warrior.

"What happened next?" Kai and Nya listened to their mother's story with undivided attention.

"Of course I was able to fight them off and I didn't even need a weapon. All my experience molded me into a capable warrior."

"You were the greatest warrior I've ever met," Ray commented, "And that's why I married you."

The Hinata siblings were amazed by their parents' accomplishments and hoped they'll be just as good and possibly go beyond what Ray and Maya had done years ago.

"What about you, Dad?" Kai asked, "Did you also do a lot of cool stuff?"

"Of course! I was one of the best swordsmen in the land! I was often called to battle. Remember the time I was called to protect a group of kids while they were on a field trip?" Ray brought up another of his adventures during his youth.

"You've told us that story so many times already!" Nya reminded her father.

"What about the time your mother and I set off on our first mission together?"

"It's been a while since the last time you told us." Kai replied.

"We were told of a giant snake that attacked anyone that came close to its home. I didn't know much about your mother so I insisted for her to stay behind but she can never be held down. We ended up arguing a lot and because of that, we weren't aware of the snake sneaking up on us. Fortunately, your mother saw it first and struck it down before it could swallow me whole. I knew from that moment on to never underestimate her skills. We also began to truly know each other and now, here we are."

The Hinata siblings were filled with wonder of all the exciting things they'll get to do as ninja. They had a lot of questions to ask their parents regarding their knowledge and experience as warriors but their vows as members of the Secret Ninja Force silenced them. They swore to never tell anyone that they were now ninja, not even their parents.

But they hoped there will be a time when they can open up and show their parents who they were...

* * *

The Secret Ninja Force were back at the warehouse for another day of training.

For one of them, a dreaded inevitable moment has finally come.

Luna never looked forward to using a weapon despite being expected as a member of the Secret Ninja Force. She stood in the center of the base, surrounded by a bunch of crude mannequins, all carrying a variety of weapons, while she gripped a sai in each hand. Even if she knew this would happen, she still wasn't sure how to even react.

"Master Wu… um… I still don't know what to do..." She said shyly.

"The sai is a weapon, though powerful if wielded by the right hand, is primarily used to trap and block enemies. It is used primarily by those with a defensive fighting style. Luna, that courage you still don't know is there must be awoken. Strength entails more than simply fighting enemies head on. It is also vital for protecting others and oneself. Give me your weapon and I'll show you."

The kunoichi of sound handed over her weapon to her old mentor and stepped back.

Wu struck one of the dummies' arm with one of the sai and bent it on an angle that would've resulted in broken bones if his victim was human. He occasionally stabbed his 'enemies', he mostly used the sai as a defensive tool with the way he trapped them in a hold and disarmed them.

"Now it's your turn." Wu returned the sai to his reluctant apprentice.

Luna simply shook where she stood, just like the day she first became a kunoichi. Wu's demonstration still wasn't enough to give her the kind of courage she lacked. All the things that could go wrong from botching her training to even endangering the rest of the team played out in her fragile psyche. It was already too much for her and she collapsed onto her knees.

The Hinata siblings rushed to help her up.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Kai goaded the fearful girl.

"…I can't do it…!" Luna's lips quivered as she held back her tears.

"Before you can master your weapons, you must first master yourself. Luna, I can still sense the special courage you possess. Fear is a natural emotion but it is unhealthy to allow yourself to be ruled entirely by fear alone. Let all of your emotions be heard, for both good and bad." Wu lectured her.

Wu still saw much potential in the fearful kunoichi of sound. He sensed it in all of his students but they were all not wholly aware of their hidden gifts. This part of training was for the young ninja to not only master their weapons but to build up their courage and take their first step towards their destiny.

But with the way things are right now… they've got a long way to go…

* * *

 **Yeah. Things are slow but it's all building up to the action & movie events later.**

 **For now, review!**


	15. Come What May

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another day, another update. Again, nothing too special here, this chapter's just gonna have some foreshadowing to future events & a little bit of action but please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 14: Come What May

In a warehouse by the coast of Ninjago City, the Secret Ninja Force got ready for the next part of their training regime. Today, they'll continue practicing the art of combat with their new weapons.

Now, it was Iris' turn to begin training with her sword and shield.

This was the very first time Iris handled a sword. As frightening as it was, there was a small part of her that found the prospect… exhilarating…

Was it the thrill of trying something for the very first time?

The kunoichi of metal might find the answer for today's training session.

"Strength alone can only do so much if you want to be an able swordswoman. Self-defense is also vital hence you are also given a shield. Metal has been forged for both purposes for eons and befitting your element, your fighting style will incorporate both offense and defense." Wu lectured her.

"What does that have to do with being who I am?" Iris complained.

"Iris, I can't provide you with the answers whenever you want them nor do I have all of them. That will defeat the purpose of being a ninja. It is time for you to grow and learn more of the way of the ninja… and yourself. Begin training."

Iris tried out a few simple swings but her movements were awkward. Having never used a weapon in her life, the sword felt too heavy in her hands and the sheer weight led to very clumsy swings and she even fell a couple of times, dropping her already neglected shield in the process.

"Iris, balance is the key to mastering a sword and shield," Wu reminded her yet again, "I sense a strong conviction within you, that same virtue that allowed you to become my nephew's first friend in years. That is a trait befitting for the metal ninja."

"I still don't know why I'm the only one with sword _and_ shield..."

"Offense is not the only important aspect in a ninja. Defense plays a major factor in battle. Each of you have a unique aspect that is important in the art of combat. Cole, come on up and begin training."

Cole stepped up, ready to begin his training.

"Earth is an element associated with nurturing and protection but it can also cause mass destruction. Only in the right hands can a weapon as devastating as a warhammer protect others from harm. Cole, I sense a deep connection to the earth within you, with the way you look out for others. Your weapon has the potential to drive off anyone that threatens to harm those your care for.

The strong ninja lifted the hammer with an ease that left most his brethren envious. However, physical prowess wasn't enough to become a capable ninja. Cole smashed all the dummies under the massive weight of his mighty hammer but Wu saw what his students can't. Like his teammates, the earth ninja had little knowledge in utilizing his weapon as necessary for the coming battles.

While most of the ninja commended Cole's strength, Jay felt those dark emotions emerging again. He thought it was unfair that such a laid-back guy like Cole gets to be strong while he was a tiny wimp, no matter how much effort he made to change himself.

'What does he have that I don't?' He thought to himself whilst fantasizing of ousting Cole one day and finally be adored by everyone.

Why can't people do the same for people who may not be strong but are smart like him?

Unfortunately, school society was one where looks and what the naked eye sees matter above all else while intellect and even basic courtesy was seen as ugly and 'uncool'. The self-conscious teen wasn't sure which path to take. Either simply be who he is and remain unpopular or wear a mask and put on an act that people would more readily accept. Jay can't even decide whether to even bother choosing. Either way, he'll never be truly happy. He wanted acceptance without having to change.

But in a strange way, being a ninja would fulfill the latter.

"Jay, it's your turn!" Kai brought his attention back to training, which he wasn't looking forward to.

Jay still had absolutely no idea how to use the kusarigama in battle. Of all the weapons the timid teen had to be assigned to, it just _had_ to be the strangest one.

"Uh… so… how does this thing work…?" He examined his strange weapon.

"The kusarigama is a unique weapon very few have mastered. Only those with a unique soul, such as yours, have the potential to wield them. It is most useful for someone who specializes in speed, which you have also displayed. Allow me to demonstrate." Wu offered to show him.

Like he did for Luna with her sai, the wise mentor showed Jay how to fight with the kusarigama.

Wu threw the sickle end of the kusarigama at an effigy, the chain wrapping around its arm. The sagely man yanked the chain towards himself, dragging the dummy in his direction, and wasted not even one second to stride to its side and use the sickle to strike his foe. He then turned to another dummy and with wide swings, had it bound in the chains before striking again with the blade.

The ninja stared in awe, never assuming that such an old man would still be able to fight with such an immense strength and speed.

"Now that you've seen how it's done, you try it." Wu handed over the kusarigama to Jay.

The lightning ninja remained unsure, even with the reassuring faces of his allies. He could do no more than flail the chain around like a madman and on a few occasions, got entangled in the chain and just barely managed to avoid getting his face destroyed by the curved blade. It didn't help that he caught some of his brethren laughing at him. He already wanted to bury himself alive.

"You have a lot of thoughts running through your mind," Wu remained patient with his student, "Like a lightning bolt, each and every emotion you feel travel in an erratic pace. Ease your mind before you attempt to use your weapon."

"But how am I going to do that!?" Jay whined, "There's so many things that could go wrong and I blew it on my first try!"

"Then stop being so whiny." Lloyd scoffed, oblivious to Kai and Cole snickering for some reason.

The young ninja continued practicing the art of combat with their weaponry while Wu observed. Each of his students still used nothing but a bunch of simple movements in their training, which wasn't that much of a surprise for him.

Aria relied on simple swings with her daggers and Heather didn't do much with her mace other than swinging it around like a baseball bat. Even Lloyd did nothing more than pull off basic slashes with his sword. The only student to show skills beyond the knowledge of a young novice was Kai and even he didn't have enough knowledge and experience to become a true ninja.

Wu wasn't disappointed since they were only just beginning their training. Still, they needed to learn a lot before they could fight against the Shark Army. Garmadon always possessed tenacity and while it can be a good thing, he used it for less desirable purposes. He also had a feeling that deep down, the dark lord didn't truly want it. He and Koko knew him better than anyone else. It wasn't like him to just do something for the sole sake of it… at least not all the time...

"Uncle!" Lloyd summoned his relative near the end of his training session.

"Is something on your mind, Lloyd?"

"I've been thinking about something lately…"

"Go ahead."

Lloyd remained uneasy about fighting his own father but the more he thought about it, the more the possibility of even more threats started to come up in his mind.

"Is my dad really the only threat to Ninjago? You often said you two fought together a long time ago. Is there anything else out there that could endanger Ninjago?"

The green-eyed ninja noticed how Wu's face grimaced as if remembering a terrible event.

"The answers will be clear to you one day but not today."

"And what about if someone finds out who I am? Everyone already hates me and what will happen if any one of us reveal ourselves?"

"That is for you to discover yourselves. There will be a time when only you know what you must do."

Lloyd still had yet to fully understand his uncle's ever cryptic advice but found no use continuing asking questions. His desire for answers continued to motivate him, even if he may not like those answers...

* * *

Luna sat in her room with only Lorelei to give her company before going to sleep. As silly as it may be, the quiet girl always preferred to confide her true feelings to the critter before telling anyone else. The young kunoichi petted her companion's thick fur while reminiscing on all the changes that's happened to her as of late.

"I would've never thought… Me… the kunoichi of sound..." Luna spoke to her pet.

Lorelei merely grunted as if wanting to say something. Hazel eyes stared back at the canine and Luna began to feel envy even towards her favored companion.

"I guess I'm also kinda envious of you..." Luna mused to her dog, "You don't have to worry about being good at anything or learning to do something completely out of your element… no pun intended..."

Luna thought of her teammates and why Master Wu would also choose them. At least she was able to comprehend why they made the cut. They were all good at something that could play a part in the life of a ninja.

Nya was tough yet confident, Kai had prior experience with a weapon, and Zane was a genius. Even Jay would do better than her, as clumsy as he was, his speed most likely helping him in the future. All Luna had was her singing voice. That's the only thing she had all her life and that won't do her any good as a kunoichi. Wu said she had a unique kind of courage but she still can't understand how he saw that.

"Maybe I was never meant to be a kunoichi… I don't know… Signing up for something just to drop out before really trying is just plain selfish… But maybe I _am_ selfish..."

A part of the kunoichi of sound's psyche objected to seeing herself as such. She wasn't perfect but not necessarily a terrible person. That's all part of being human, right?

Unfortunately, Lorelei couldn't speak and offer any reassuring words.

"Lorelei, you may not be able to talk but at least you're always here to lend an ear..."

Only then did the German Shepherd finally decide to bark, much to Luna's slight annoyance.

"You're not supposed to agree with me all the time." She muttered.

While Lorelei gave her the classic puppy-dog eyes look, the kunoichi of sound's mind drifted towards a certain someone…

Other than being quiet individuals with a keen interest in music, Cole was very much her opposite. He was strong in both body and mind, always helping others and did much better in training than her. The earth ninja was the paradigm of true strength… everything she wanted to be…

But she always had this strange feeling when she did so much as approach him.

What was that feeling?

It intimidated her while also fueling a desire to simply be with him. The more she thought about it, the more she realized something…

She didn't really know that much about Cole. She did want to change that but had no idea nor possess the kind of courage to approach him.

"We've talked a lot during music club..." She mused aloud again, "Maybe I can talk with him in private next time we meet..."

As always, Luna was a very timid girl, possibly even more than Jay. She felt unsure, just like she is with everything, and became fearful of the impression she could make on the earth ninja. She could end up looking like a man-hungry fool or something will happen and botch any attempt to get close to him.

'What should I do…?' Luna sighed and drifted to sleep, hoping her dreams may provide an answer...

* * *

Aria and Heather found some time to chat between the end of the latter's shift at the flower shop and training at the warehouse. Outside the Secret Ninja Force, they were still no different from any other teenage girl. They may be kunoichi now but that won't change them entirely. They still enjoyed doing the stuff they always did before all this ninja business, such as hanging out at the cafes of Ninjago City.

"That history exam is coming soon," Heather brought up their school life, "You did study, right?"

"Crap! I didn't have time!" Aria mentally kicked herself.

"Even with our… 'job'… we're still students and we still have other things to focus on such as school."

"I guess so..." The kunoichi of wind sighed, "Still… I'm looking for that thing in my life that'll make me feel whole… I thought maybe joining the nin -"

"Don't say it out loud!" The kunoichi of nature scolded her after slamming her hand over her mouth, "It's our own secret, remember?"

The spirited girl nodded and her friend finally let go.

"As I said, I was thinking 'This is it. I'll finally find what I've been looking for'… But right now, I feel I'm not getting any closer to finding the answer…" The olive-skinned girl continued.

"Aria, you have to stay focused. That's one of the most important lessons Master Wu taught us." The kunoichi of nature reminded her.

"But I can't! I see everyone focusing on whatever they're doing like it's second nature! Why can't I!?"

"Perhaps they're struggling like you are. Don't judge a book by its cover."

Both kunoichi kept finding themselves obsessing over their new lives. It wasn't exactly healthy to keep their minds in one place all the time. Deep down, they were still the same schoolgirls just trying to live out their lives before getting into this whole mess.

"Actually, let's talk about something else instead to take our minds off our problems for the moment." Heather sighed.

The pair took a moment to recollect themselves. Their new lives shouldn't resolve entirely on being a part of a group of young vigilantes. They weren't a bunch of soulless toys for destiny to mess with.

"Is there anything else on your mind?"

"Not much," Aria shrugged, "I guess in a way I haven't changed… I'm still waiting for the new season of Weirder Things to come out and I've been considering getting a part-time job like you have..."

"Yeah. Things are going the same as usual at the flower shop. But I still have plans on going to N-Pop girl's next concert. I've been saving up money to get tickets. Do you wanna go?"

"Maybe… Why…? Are you thinking of someone in particular…?" Aria asked with a teasing air.

"What are you talking about? I'm not in a relationship or anything."

"Don't worry! I'm just messing with ya!"

"You have a weird sense of humor, you know that?" Despite her choice of words, Heather chuckled.

"You're saying that like it's a bad thing." Aria smirked right back.

"Well, there will never be anyone else like you."

"I know I don't say it much but I do like having you for a friend."

Heather and Aria did have their squabbles every now and then but deep down, they were true friends to one another. The girls treasured the times and friendship they shared because little did they know that their bond may be put to the test in the future...

* * *

Outside Ninjago City, there was nothing but wilderness… or so many claim.

Wu knew otherwise that there was much more to the lands outside the city than greenery. He knew much of the forgotten secrets he was sure his apprentices will uncover someday. He continued going further into the bamboo forest, leaving some of his troubles in his wake. He would always come here whenever he developed a need for solitude.

Master Wu's usual methods of relieving stress was drinking some freshly brewed green tea or playing his old flute. While playing an old melody on his aged instrument, the old mentor strolled through the path in the middle of the lush bamboo forests. He may be old but the memories of this place were still fresh in his mind.

This familiar path led to some of Ninjago's biggest secrets. He had a feeling his students will tread this very path in the future…

...And that he wasn't alone.

Wu remained still and silent for a few seconds before suddenly leaping away. A large silhouette stood right where he was mere moments ago. If Wu remained where he was, he would've been beaten to a bloody pulp. The figure got up and stood tall, a light breeze caught his grey mantle, exposing his pure black flesh and four arms and under the wide brim of his straw hat, red eyes glowed with rage.

It was Garmadon.

"Brother..." Wu glared at his sibling, knowing better than to trust him.

"It's been a long time since we've last spoke." The dark lord sneered towards the old man.

"My thoughts, exactly." Wu stared back, stoic as ever.

The silence resumed only for a few seconds before Garmadon lunged at his brother once more in an attempt to catch him off guard. This time, Wu chose to face him head-on. He grabbed his simple staff, which managed to block the dark lord's four fists.

"I know why you're here! You keep getting in the way of my plans!" Garmadon growled.

"You've always known me best, brother." Wu sneered under his long facial hair.

Garmadon pulled his hands away only to try to kick him, only for Wu to do the same.

"It seems your mind is _still_ playing catch-up. You were always a foolish old man."

"Garmadon, you have a son who needs you. You can't stay the way you are forever."

"You of all people have the audacity to say such a thing after what happened all those years ago!"

"The past can never be changed," Wu spoke back sternly, "However, you can change who you are. You don't have to be like this forever. I know what you really want."

"You don't know anything about me!" Garmadon roared.

The estranged brothers fought, their skills having never gone rusty after years off the battlefield.

"Enough of this, Garmadon!" Wu retorted, "The more you reach, the more you lose! Drop down from your evil desires and be the person you truly want to be!"

"You can never stop what will be done! I _will_ take over Ninjago and recreate it into my own image! You can't stop me!"

"Why? What do you think you'll get out of taking over the city?"

"I will be all powerful! You will finally be out of my way and I will finally be whole!"

"What do you think all that power will do? What good will it do other than being within your hands?"

"You're always keeping your secrets so I'm keeping mine."

Garmadon and Wu continued their duel, exchanging blow after blow. No one could ever rival them in martial arts and even when they were nearing the brink of exhaustion, there was no clear winner. The brothers were polar opposites but also the same. They were like two halves of one whole but are now fractured. However, there was a way for them to unite and form a synergy to benefit Ninjago.

"Garmadon, it's time to let go of your obsessions. They are not who you are."

"You continue to spew nothing but false wisdom! But no matter! I know what you're planning and I'll make sure you'll fail!"

Garmadon scoffed and ran off as fast as he appeared. Wu didn't bother chasing him because he knew better than anyone else that there was no use delaying the inevitable. The elderly sage was also more aware than ever that he and ninja were running out of time.

All he could do until the time comes was to ensure the Secret Ninja Force will be ready…

* * *

 **Now that Garmadon might be aware of the Secret Ninja Force, our young heroes may not have much of time left. I know I also said romance will be downplayed & I'm aware that doesn't seem to be the case with Luna but trust me, I have plans for her.**

 **I'm also planning a quick one-shot focusing on Zane for Christmas but if I don't have time, I wish you all Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas!**


	16. With Friends Like These

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hope you all had a Merry Christmas & thank you to those who reviewed my Christmas Special 'An Innocent Wisdom'! I can't believe how many reviews I already got! In this chapter, the original ninja/kunoichi pairings get a share of the spotlight! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 15: With Friends Like These

The music club was up to their same old activities after school. The members were preparing the stage for their next big project, Luna and some others auditioned for roles, and Cole just stuck around and helped out wherever he was needed. The kunoichi of sound watched wistfully as the earth ninja went about offering assistance and guiding others. There was no denying that he was really handsome and kind, similar to the Prince Charming characters she read in her childhood fairy tales. But this was not a fairy tale. This is real life. Luna was on her own if she wants to have a chance with Cole…

But as usual, Luna couldn't find the kind of courage she needed to confront him. The strong ninja was relaxing with his booming radio like always, blissfully unaware of how nervous she was to talk to him.

'Courage is not the absence of fear.' Master Wu's advice echoed in her head.

Just because she was scared didn't mean there was nothing she can do. She wanted to believe Master Wu and she did approach Cole for help before. She can do this.

"Um… Cole…?" Luna asked before flinching like a mouse.

Cole grunted, making Luna know his attention was on her. With earthy brown eyes on her, the shy girl found herself unable to say a single word, even with so much she wanted to say to him.

"Something wrong?" Cole raised a bushy eyebrow at his teammate's sudden silence.

'Okay, Luna… It's now or never...' The shy kunoichi took a deep breath before finding her voice.

"I was thinking… do you think… we can hang out… before training…?" Luna asked in a shaky voice.

"Sure thing."

The kunoichi of sound's heart skipped a beat or two upon hearing Cole accept her offer. All she could hope for was to keep whatever composure she had when they meet...

* * *

Cole and Luna ended up meeting at the park just as they promised. The auburn-haired girl felt relieved that he kept his word.

'He's always such a great guy...'

"So, where do you wanna go?"

"Nowhere in particular… I just thought it'll be nice getting to… uh… know one another… We're gonna have to work together as ninja after all..."

"I see..."

Cole found Luna's nervousness a little bothersome but he didn't mind her. Out of his eagerness to help others, he had a particular fondness towards her. The way she followed him around was like a bunch of chicks with their mother hen and he thought that part of her was kinda cute.

The music-loving teens continued wandering through the city, taking in all the sights and sounds. Luna felt safe near Cole like she always does. He always had an aura of compassion and nurturing, fitting for the perfect person to look up to. She couldn't help but also feel a little envious of him.

"Sometimes… I wonder… how lucky you are… to be so strong..." She finally spoke.

"I'm not that great." Cole shrugged off her compliments.

"You are," Luna insisted, "You're always there for me whenever I need help. In fact, you're always out there helping and caring for anyone in need. You have done so much..."

The kunoichi of sound eyed Cole, who stopped a small distance from her, eyeing the cakes set up on a display window of a cake shop. She was crestfallen that he most likely haven't heard what she had to say about him.

"Cole!" She called out, bringing him back to reality.

"Sorry… Whenever I see cake, that's all I can focus on." The strong teen confessed.

"I guess I can understand... Cake is my favorite food, too..." Even Luna found herself tempted by all the culinary masterpieces before them.

"We could go in and have a snack before heading to the base." Cole offered.

"Are you sure? I didn't bring any money..."

"Don't worry. I have plenty." Cole led her into the shop so they can indulge on their favorite treats.

Cole helped himself to some chocolate cake topped with strawberries while Luna chose a vanilla cake with plenty of whipped cream and fresh fruits. All the while, they continued chatting with each other.

"It's a funny coincidence that we have something else in common." Cole reminisced while eating cake.

"Yeah..."

"Music and cake… Just give me those two and life will be perfect..." The earth ninja was already done with his cake but luckily, he actually ordered a second cake, this one being lemon.

Luna noticed how happy he seemed, indulging on such a delectable treat. The earth ninja often wore an indifferent expression and right now, he looked like the happiest man in all of Ninjago. The kunoichi of sound became curious of his inordinate fondness for cake… and maybe wanted to make him happy in the same way.

"I'm just curious… Why do you like cake so much?" Luna asked.

"I'm pretty much what you'd call a foodie. As long as it tastes good, I'll eat it, though I do have a bit of a sweet tooth. But no matter what, cake will always hold a special place in my heart." He answered.

Luna noticed how Cole's earthy eyes became misty with wistfulness. He looked like he was looking at something that wasn't there… or trying to remember something from a forgotten past… She wanted to know more about him but felt that subject may be a little too intrusive.

'I'll just stick to this sort of stuff...' Luna concluded while taking another bite of her cake.

"Now it's my turn. Why do _you_ like cake?" Cole threw the kunoichi's question back at her.

"I guess I also have a sweet tooth. I have many fond memories of decorating cakes with my parents." The timid girl also looked back towards her own past.

"I wish I could make cake but I'm not exactly the best chef in Ninjago. Besides, I still think eating cake is better than making them."

"I can see that..."

Right now, Cole and Luna were content to just share more about one another over some cake. Though neither of them said it, they were both happy that they found some more in common between them.

* * *

Heather continued her work at Blossoming Memories. Apparently, being a kunoichi never diminished her love for flowers. While tending to the cosmos flowers, she was stricken with a sense of deja vu.

Just like when they crossed paths for the very first time, Zane's eerily glowing eyes peered through the display window, staring at the variety of flowers in the shop. This time, Heather wasn't easily startled.

"Is there something you're looking for?" The kunoichi of nature questioned his motive of returning to this place.

"No. I simply wish to know more about my fellow brethren." Zane answered while upholding their vow to never reveal their secret identities.

"Then it's a good thing I'm almost done with my shift. My boss doesn't take too kindly to loiterers."

"Heather, I'll see you again tomorrow. Oh, and don't rush anything okay?" The shopkeeper dismissed his young employee, adding some words of wisdom upon noticing the strange man accompanying her.

"Do not worry. I always strive to do what must be done at an efficient pace." Zane replied, naive to the flower-loving girl pinching the freckled bridge of her nose.

Zane was very intelligent yet extremely naive at the same time. Heather wondered if that paradox is a curse or a blessing.

"Shall we go, Heather?"

"Yeah..."

The young teens left the shop, this time, they were both oblivious to the florist's smirk…

* * *

Zane and Heather journeyed through the bustling city, wanting to unwind before training as ninja.

"Is there any place in particular you want to go to?" Heather conversed with the robot.

"I would like to visit the mall. I hear it is a good place to see how teenagers act the way they do." The robot suggested.

"Okay, that's kinda creepy..." Heather was a bit put off by Zane's choice of words.

"I apologize. Am I disturbing you?" The ice ninja noticed his teammate's unnerved face.

"N-no..." The kunoichi of nature replied, "Let's get going, shall we?"

Once the duo arrived at their destination, Zane was amazed by all the different things different people do. Some were shopping for clothes and others bought electronics. They also did all kinds of stuff from eating ice cream to talking on their phones. To Heather, it was just everyday life but to Zane, it was all one big mosaic, every unique piece coming together to make a beautiful work of art. Every human was unique, just as his father told him.

' _To truly grow up and learn… that's what makes you a person.'_

' _Can a robot really be a… 'person'…?'_

' _Yes.'_

Zane remembered his father telling him what makes a person who they were. He also said that he was as much as a person as humans.

Was there really no difference between a robot and human if they both can be a person?

"Heather… do you think I'm a… 'person'…?"

"What do you mean?"

"Zane… I don't know how to say this but… Only you can know the answer… Master Wu keeps telling us to find ourselves and that that's the true purpose of us becoming ninja… I still don't fully understand what he means exactly… But after training alongside you… You're not too different from us and you're also not the person I'd imagine you'd be..."

"What did you think of me?"

"I thought you were like those arrogant soulless robots from those shows and movies, only doing what they're programmed to do. But I've seen how much you want to just live amongst humans and learn more about them. You seem to be a very sweet person… and I find myself enjoying being with you… If there is more to you than meets the eye, then I would like to know more."

Zane felt something but wasn't sure what it exactly was. This was the first time he felt it and couldn't figure out if Heather herself has anything to do with it. This feeling gave him a sense that he was not only accepted but also being drawn to her. How he's drawn to her, he still didn't know, but the feeling was not unwelcome.

"I do not know what I am feeling but I sense that your presence has something to do with it. It is not a bad thing. Somehow, this feeling makes me feel safe… I would also like to know more about it… as well as more about you..."

Heather wasn't sure what to make of Zane's fascination or whatever it was towards her. He had a good personality so it won't hurt giving him a chance, right?

Besides, they were working together as ninja so there wasn't much of a choice...

* * *

Lloyd usually avoided going out in public during the weekend but today, he left to get some parts he'll need to keep building his dragon mech. Luckily, the shopping districts of Ninjago City had at least one shop for every need. The green-eyed ninja wore his hoodie, obscuring his face as always, while making his way into the hustle and bustle of the city.

Lloyd never thought he would bump into Iris and Karloff today but now, here he was, in the middle of the city, standing before the drastically different duo.

"So we meet again." Karloff was just as friendly as he was when he and Lloyd first met.

"Yeah..." Lloyd muttered, still not sure what to make of his teammate's uncle.

"What brings you here?" Iris asked.

"I was on my way to the House Depot. You know, getting stuff for..." Lloyd trailed off upon realizing he nearly gave away his and Iris' identities as ninja in front of Karloff. They had sworn an oath of secrecy and if any of them reveal anything, who knows what Master Wu might do to them.

"Why not join us?" Iris suggested.

"I don't think -"

"It won't be long!" Karloff literally dragged the poor boy with him and his niece, "You're gonna have a great time! Trust me!"

* * *

'Trust me, he said. I'm gonna have a great time, he said.' Lloyd complained to himself once Russian relatives reached their first destination.

Lloyd didn't bother rolling his eyes while Iris spent an ungodly amount of time buying dresses, skirts, and frilly hair decorations at Darling, the Stars Shine Bright. If he rolled his eyes one more time, they'll surely fall out of his sockets after doing it countless times. He's been standing outside the storefront, not even wanting to be caught dead inside. The store was bursting with all things pink with cushions, chandeliers, and plushies strewn around the place. Every bit of apparel was saturated with cuteness, making the whole store heaven for Iris… and hell for Lloyd.

But Iris wasn't alone in the shop.

Other girls in the store gawked at the huge burly man who stayed by Iris' side while she was shopping. Karloff didn't care if people will make fun of him for being seen in a girly place. All that mattered was supporting and encouraging his niece to simply be the way she is.

"Uncle! Which one do you think looks better?" His niece held up two different hair decorations. One was a headband full of lace and frills with tiny bows at the end and the other was a big frilly bow with a heart pattern.

"They look good either way but that's only for you to decide." Karloff answered. Iris' apparel will never change who she really was.

While Iris was still deciding what to get, her uncle noticed Lloyd still standing outside. He understood his reluctance to be seen in such a childish place.

'Finally!' Lloyd was hoping to finally leave the wretched place behind but his hopes were dashed when he saw it was Karloff.

"Why don't you come in? It's not as bad as you think." Karloff suggested.

"Are you kidding me? I'd rather live with Chen for an entire year than go in there!" Lloyd recoiled with his face contorted in abhorrence, which made the Russian man chuckle.

"Being in a certain place won't change anything about you. Stop caring about what others say. You're more than your father's son. Remember that."

Lloyd wondered where Karloff got his world views. His optimism never ceased to astonish him and he even started to envy the man and maybe wanted to try and learn a thing or two from him.

"Hey… um… Mr…."

"Kuznetsov," Karloff revealed his last name, "But you can go ahead and call me Karloff if you want."

"I was wondering how is it that you're able to see everyone the way you do. I probably have different experiences from yours but I still don't get it. I don't know how anyone can see only good things when there's also a lot of terrible things in the world."

"I've been through a lot before becoming the Karloff I am today… Just like every other teenage boy, I was confused and frustrated, much like you… That also proves that you're no different from the other kids at school. You won't find the answers if you keep trying too hard. Learn to have patience and one day, those answers will come to you."

The guys' conversation was interrupted by Iris knocking on the glass door, indicating that she's finally ready to pay for her new clothing.

"I gotta go back in and pay for Iris' stuff." Karloff hurried back in, leaving Lloyd alone yet again.

'Am I trying too hard…?' Karloff's advice echoed in Lloyd's head.

Lloyd wanted answers more than anything and he couldn't stop thinking about them.

Was that part of the problem? Is he reaching out too far? Could the answers have been right under his nose the whole time?

Lloyd's questions were interrupted by Karloff and Iris leaving the store, much to his relief.

Once Iris and Karloff were _finally_ done with that place, it was Lloyd's turn dragging the group to where he wanted to go. The House Depot logo shone like a glorious omen to him and he rushed inside. Now Lloyd was the one being as giddy as Iris was, going browsing all the tools he could use and thinking up of more creations he could build. It was also Iris' turn to get bored while the green-eyed teen went up and down every last aisle, getting whatever he needed, which felt longer than it should to her. Karloff chuckled by how the two teens practically switched places. They had more in common than they once thought. Yeah, they're definitely getting along.

"Finally!" Iris said in exasperation, reminding her uncle of Lloyd's behavior earlier.

"I guess I should thank you guys for putting up with me..." Lloyd thanked the relatives for joining him. For all his habit of closing himself off on weekends, it did get lonely being cooped up in his apartment all the time.

"It's no big deal," The Russian girl decided to set her annoyance aside, "You know, it's actually nice to just spend time together without school and all those jerks getting in the way."

"I guess you could say that..."

"You know what? You should come on over to our place one day and I can cook some dinner for you! I can make one mean pirozhki!" Karloff insisted.

"No thanks, I don't want to mooch off of others..." Lloyd declined.

"Don't worry! I insist!"

"Actually, I should be heading home. My mom worries easily if I'm out alone for too long..."

"Oh my god!" Iris shouted from out of nowhere.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd looked at her like she had gone insane.

"Lloyd, don't tell me you're a mama's boy!?" The violet-eyed girl guffawed at the supposed revelation.

"Iris, don't make fun of him." Her uncle scolded her.

"Still, I should get going… I'll see you later." Lloyd gave his farewell before running back home...

* * *

"...And that's why I wasn't able to watch The Unbelievables with you guys."

Lloyd finished telling the suspense-filled story of why he skipped out on watching the movies with the guys during lunch on the rooftop at school.

"How is missing a movie the next day related to the events the day before?" Zane questioned the logic in his friend's story.

"Let me get this straight..." Cole briefly paused, "You were invited to Iris' place… and you said no…?"

"Yeah. Why?"

The normally stoic Cole's face turned pale in horror, which was quite a feat with his very dark skin.

"...Lloyd..." The earth ninja's voice was eerily calm like the solitude before an earthquake, "How could you say no to free food!?"

"Are you kidding me?" Lloyd deadpanned.

"Seriously, Lloyd! Only a complete idiot would refuse free food!" Even Kai gave his best friend hell for missing out on one of the greatest pleasures in life.

"What's the big deal? It's just one meal. What's so great about it?"

"Nothing's better than free food!" Jay too was appalled by Lloyd's unawareness of the pleasures only a free meal can provide.

"I would be happy to give you all free food." Zane quipped, not getting the gist of their conversation.

"That's not the point, Zane." Cole reminded him.

Lloyd _still_ didn't understand why his friends would think he's an idiot for refusing Karloff's offer. They were getting all worked up over one measly meal. He's had dinner at the Hinata house before so it was nothing new to him.

But no one knows what will happen with friends like these...

* * *

The ninja were back to training in the warehouse but today, Kai decided to try something different. He always wanted to go where no other swordsman had gone before. The very first idea in his mind was to use not one but _two_ katana. There's no recorded person in the history of Ninjago who used a pair of katana in battle and he planned to have the honor of being the very first to do so.

"Well now, aren't you trying to be original." A high-pitched yet robust voice teased him.

Kai turned to see the owner of that voice.

Aria stood before the fire ninja with a dagger in each hand.

"You know, if you're planning on using two katana, that'll make our weapons pretty much the same." The olive-skinned girl pointed out.

"Katana and daggers are different! Daggers don't have as much range!" The fire ninja scoffed.

"I'll have you know I haven't forgotten about our bet!"

"Me neither! I'm still gonna beat you!"

"Prove it!"

"You two have so much to learn..." Wu interrupted his pupils' argument.

The temperamental duo fell silent, awaiting for the inevitable cryptic advice.

"Being similar and being the same are two different things. Kai, you already have similarities to Lloyd's sword and Iris' sword and shield. The same goes for you Aria. Luna also fights with a pair of sai. You're not fighting to be the same but to develop your own style. That is part of finding yourselves. You may have more in common than you realize. Whether or not that will be a good thing for the both of you is entirely up to you to decide."

Kai and Aria simply stared at their teacher, still not understanding what he truly meant.

Deep down, he can tell these two may have something special between them in the future.

Wu saw how easily Kai and Aria provoked one another, much like how the winds fan the flames and in turn, the heat of the flames encourages the movements of the wind. They may not realize it but they were still learning much more about themselves.

Kai still wasn't sure if Aria had what it takes. She didn't seem to take fighting with weapons seriously and given his background, he felt almost offended by her attitude regarding the subject. Still, she had this strange way of motivating him to better himself. Perhaps it was a need to prove her wrong. He still wasn't going to let her win their bet so easily...

Meanwhile, Aria was annoyed by these strange feelings she had. There was something about Kai that always riled her up. He was just an annoying arrogant jerk. She was never able to get along with him, even before they became part of the Secret Ninja Force. Still, this was her one chance to find what will finally make her feel whole.

One way or another, they'll prove each other wrong…

...And possibly find out what those feelings were…

* * *

 **I know it doesn't seem like it in this chapter but other than Jay/Nya, not all of the couples here will be romantic, though each pair may have something special between them. I won't say which ones so you'll just have to wait & see. Until then, review!**


	17. Rising Threats

**Discovering Destiny**

 **I know it may not be New Year's Day where some of you live but I'll say it anyway. Happy New Year! To start off 2018, we'll start getting into some real action with at least one of the ninja! Now this story won't drag so much (hopefully)! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Rising Threats

Nya stared at the mirror, particularly at her hair tied in a ponytail. She took it down to inspect her hair as it naturally looked. Her short ebony hair wasn't super neat and she didn't mind it either. However, she preferred to keep her hair up and out of the way when she was doing stuff from writing essays for school to working on her motorcycle. There were some who didn't mind the way she looked with her ponytail but others complained she should keep her hair down, citing that her ponytail made her look too much like those generic knockoffs of 'Wild Girl', who happens to be Nya's favorite character from that movie Lloyd made her and their friends watch some time ago.

She always liked herself the way she is so why was she getting so worked up about it now?

Wu did constantly make those annoying reminders that being a ninja wasn't solely about fighting and using weapons. There could be more to her than even she initially believed and what really makes her who she is will also prevent her from being just like Lady Iron Dragon. But at least a part of her didn't want to change the way she presented herself.

If she's happy, then why should she let other people's opinions burst her bubble?

She's been part of the Secret Ninja Force for some time and only now were these questions starting to emerge. She never made herself look the way she did for anyone. She wore the clothes she wore and kept her hair in a ponytail simply because she found it more comfortable, not because of who she may look like. There's only so many people in Ninjago and similarities are bound to occur.

Either be unique or be happier… If only she can find a way to have both...

"Kai!" Nya called out to her brother the moment she saw him walking down the hall.

"What is it?" Kai's big brother instincts immediately acted up and he came in to offer some solace.

"Kai, do you think I should keep my hair in a ponytail or start wearing it down?" His sister briefly held up her hair for him to compare the styles.

"Why are asking me this sort of stuff? It isn't like you to care what others think regarding your looks." The fire ninja was confused by his sister's sudden concern over her appearance.

"I know… but these thoughts have been popping up in my head as of late… I never gave a damn over the people at school who don't like my ponytail. It's just that Master Wu always tells us that there can only be one of us. I'm still trying to figure out what makes me the way I am. Could the real me look too similar to another?"

"Just keep your hair the way you're happiest with. It's not gonna make a difference regarding who you are. No matter what hairstyle you have, you'll always be Hinata Nya, my one and only little sister. Just go with what you like best. If anyone doesn't like the way you put up your hair, it's their fault. Besides, you can just kick their asses." Kai's fiery amber eyes glowed with the kind of warmth found within the flames of a hearth, gathering people together and giving them shelter from the cold.

Kai was an apt embodiment his element not just by being a hothead.

"Maybe you're on to something. It's like how Iris goes around in those dresses and ignores the mean comments and she seems all the happier for it. And I was also happy just dressing and putting my hair the way I liked it. You know, you're actually right… for once." Nya smirked, showing she already felt a lot better thanks to her brother's advice.

"There! Now that's the _real_ Nya I know!" Kai smiled right back.

"You know, Kai? As aggravating as you can be… I'm glad you're my brother."

"I'm just trying to look out for you. You're my only true sibling and I'll do anything to protect you."

"I can take care of myself, Kai."

"Seriously, if anyone tries to do anything to you or my friends, I'm gonna slit their throats, disembowel them, and make hot dog meat out of their organs." The fire ninja spoke of the horrors he'll unleash on anyone foolish enough to mess with his loved ones in an eerily calm tone.

"I just realized something... It's also kinda funny that I was getting worked up over how I wear my hair when you're always looking like a cliché anime guy with that hair of yours." Nya teased her brother's hair that he lathered with copious amounts of hair gel to look like flames every day.

"Hey!"

Nya ran out the room with Kai playfully chasing her.

Even if they fought a lot and can't stand each other at times, the Hinata siblings had each other's back through and through. After all, that's what siblings are for.

* * *

The docks were quiet save for the melancholic sound of a flute. Wu played his trusty instrument while sitting on the deck of the ship named 'Destiny's Bounty', which also happens to be his home. He held many secrets in his private abode, including a certain weapon that can be very dangerous if it falls in the wrong hands. Right now, the right hands weren't even in Ninjago. Even while he played a variety of melodies on his flute, Wu could still pick up other minuscule sounds… including those closer to him than one would've thought.

Wu knew he wasn't alone.

The old sage stopped playing his instrument and got up, already prepared for what's to come. Before he knew it, the calm surface of the water was broken by loud splashes and battle cries. A small group of Shark Army burst from the water's surface with weapons in hand, poised to attack. Wu may be old but his reflexes were just as efficient as they were many years ago. He flipped backwards so the Shark Army's weapons met hardwood. They charged towards Wu but he was quick to retrieve his staff and make a stand. Using everything he learned from years of training, he made easy work on Garmadon's goons, knowing their every move that was no doubt passed down to them from their dark leader, who trained alongside their opponent in a time long past.

The Shark Army were astonished that their old enemy still had some fighting spirit left in him.

'Amateurs.'

Wu struck down any nautical-themed servant with just his staff and the martial arts techniques passed down to him from his family. These fools were too reliant on their weapons and even with easy access to modern technology, they couldn't make even a single scratch on their target.

"Won't the old geezer ever let up!?" One of the goons complained over their lack of success.

"Perhaps I can provide the answer." Wu taunted, resuming a fighting stance.

The Shark Army, already exhausted by their efforts, were forced to retreat and face the wrath of their leader. Once they were gone, Wu only felt dread despite winning this battle. The war was not over and his students will be involved sooner or later.

It was time to act now.

Garmadon seems to be now targeting his brother and is intent on getting any information he can get on his top secret plan to get rid of him. There was no use delaying what will surely come, as much as he wished otherwise.

Perhaps now is the time for the ninja to make the next step...

* * *

The ninja and kunoichi gathered at the base as usual but today, something didn't feel right. Master Wu always had this air to him where it was hard to read his emotions. Now, his face was contorted into a constant expression of foreboding, as if sensing something ominous that will surely happen.

"Master Wu, is something the matter?" Aria finally asked for her teammates.

"Students, we are almost out of time. Garmadon is likely aware of your existence. I will not sugarcoat anything for you. I'll have to go closer to uncover the truth but I can't go alone. I might need someone to accompany me and perhaps see what the future as a ninja will entail."

The ninja would've never guessed that they might go on their first mission so soon. The team quickly began bombarding their mentor with countless questions in a frenzy.

"Be still!" Wu sternly silenced his pupils, who quickly heeded his command and let him continue.

"I don't plan to lead you into any battles you can't win. You will not be involved in direct confrontation but I'll only have my student with the most experience in combat to follow me."

The old mentor's eyes fell on one student in particular...

"Hinata Kai... you will have to accompany me in my investigation."

"WHAT!?"

The ninja were all shocked but no one was as surprised as Kai himself.

"How come _he_ gets to go!?" Nya complained.

"Kai, we have very little time left. This may be unwise but in times like this, there isn't much room for wisdom. You have the most experience in the art of combat. If there's anyone who has to be there to observe the Shark Army for the first time, it's Kai."

The fire ninja was aware that he never experienced a real battle. The real thing is very different from the duels while training as a ninja or in Ronin's Kendo School. Still, he can't deny that this was also the one chance to prove himself as a swordsman and the very first thing on his mind once Wu chose him to accompany him was to keep the Shark Army from hurting Nya, Lloyd, and all of his friends.

For them, he will do _anything_.

"I'm ready!" Kai stood firmly, ready to take on the challenge.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Luna pondered, "It's not just Kai but all of us who don't have what it takes to drive back the Shark Army. Also, shouldn't Lloyd be the one going? It _is_ his father we'll have to fight against sooner or later."

Lloyd felt his entire body freeze upon the suggestion. He was aware that a confrontation between him and his father was bound to occur ever since he accepted being a ninja. Part of him did want to see his father after being separated from him for nearly his whole life but another part of him didn't want his reunion to be like this, especially so soon. He was still very ambivalent of the whole thing.

"I'm not sure if I'm the right person… I don't even know how I should really feel about this… Fighting my own dad… I wish he would stop trying to conquer Ninjago but at the same time… I don't want it to be like this all the time…"

"Right now, this isn't about familial relationships. What matters more is to keep the Shark Army from endangering Ninjago City. You must act now."

"But we haven't finished this part of our training. We won't stand a chance." Cole said.

"Garmadon was going to find about the Secret Ninja Force sooner or later. Direction confrontation is inevitable. However, that doesn't mean training will stop. You'll have to continue improving your skills and learn from your experiences. The quest to hone your true gifts is everlasting. It won't reach its end until your lives reach theirs. When you set out on your first mission will make little difference. You will all eventually have to face reality, whether you like it or not."

As harsh as the truth is, Wu had to make sure his students see that. To find their destiny, they will also have to go through less savory experiences and learn somber lessons, such as this one.

"As a ninja, you must keep your true identity a secret. I do plan on giving you and all the ninja unique uniforms but for now, you'll have to wear this."

Wu handed Kai a gi that entirely black and had no details at all. The fire ninja was utterly unimpressed by the drab uniform. At least the ones he and the others were wearing right now wasn't as bland. But he knew what he had to do...

* * *

Now that Kai had changed into his gi, he was completely covered, save for his head, in pure black. If he hid in the shadows, he'll be easily missed.

"Now the main question is if Kai can fit his hair in that thing." Heather pointed out.

"Shut up, Heather! I got this!" Kai grumbled while trying to fit the mask over his face, ignoring snickers from his friends as he struggled. He was eventually forced to flatten his spiky tresses just so he can fit his mask on and the only part of his body that was exposed were his amber eyes and the bronze flesh surrounding them. Luckily, the cloth was made of a light material so he could breathe easily with both his nose and mouth covered.

The remaining members of the Secret Ninja Force almost felt like they were seeing their future selves just by looking at Kai.

"Kai, it's already risky for you to come with me. I know you plan on wielding two katana but only one will have to suffice. You will not be fighting my battle but one can't be sure." Wu ordered the fire ninja to stick with what he knew for now.

"Why not? Won't a ninja need all the power he can get?" Kai chafed, only for his teacher to smack him on the head with his staff.

"Strength means little during times like this and it isn't all being a ninja or even a warrior is about. You are all bound by your duty to not only find your destiny but to also protect those important to you."

"So now what do _we_ do?" Iris asked.

"You must stay here. Some risks must be taken in life but there's a limit on how much a person can put at stake. You will keep guard here while Kai and I go investigate. May the fates offer mercy."

"Kai!"

The fire ninja was halted by his sister before he and Wu could leave, allowing her to continue.

"You better not do anything stupid." Kai knew what Nya really meant. He wanted to protect her as well as their friends and will do _anything_ to keep them safe.

"Nya… I'll see you later..."

Wu and Kai left, leaving the remaining ninja to stand and wait with uncertainty...

* * *

Wu led Kai towards the Destiny's Bounty across the city, knowing what will await his young pupil.

"So this is where you live?" Kai asked, only to get shushed by his mentor.

"You'll have to stay in the shadows if you don't want to get caught."

"But -"

Wu silenced his apprentice again and guided him into the shadow cast by one of the larger boats. Kai watched with uncertainty and anticipation while his mentor was still and quiet like the night. The fire ninja couldn't hear anything but his mentor could. To the inexperienced apprentice, there didn't seem to be anything to be worried about. He was just about to come out when his teacher's posture shifted to a fighting stance.

"Don't bother trying to hide from me!" Wu attempted to provoke whoever was sneaking up on him.

Members of the Shark Army charged at the old man but this time, their numbers were larger. Kai was sure Garmadon sent an entire squadron after him. The fire ninja ended up being more surprised by his aged mentor's skills despite his age. He moved faster than anyone would've imagined given his aged appearance and made the skirmish look much easier than it really is.

'Come on, Kai! You didn't become a ninja just to sit aside and watch!' The hot-blooded ninja tightened his already firm grasp on the hilt of his katana.

If there was one thing Kai hated more than anything, it was having to sit back and let others get hurt. He had experience as a swordsman and even had a real katana in his hands but he was forced to hide and do nothing but watch as Wu fought off the Shark Army. It's true that his lack of experience in real combat would put him at a terrible disadvantage but the least he can do is try and help.

'You will not be fighting my battle.' Wu's words still rang loud and clear in Kai's head.

Kai's knuckles turned white under his black gloves and the fire burning in him was being fed by a need to help his teacher and fend off the Shark Army. Even if Wu wasn't facing any problems now, it's only a matter of time before the old man reaches his limit. The fires within consumed him and there was one thing in his mind, regardless of the consequences.

Kai slid his fingers around the hilt of his katana, knowing what will happen next...

* * *

The ninja remained at the base, feeling anxious over Wu and Kai's departure. Nothing they can do to pass the time offered any solace. Even Jay couldn't think of any conversation that didn't involve their teacher and teammate and speaking of them filled the already anxious teen with even more stress.

Cole wasn't even in the mood to listen to any music and settled on observing his teammates, who all wore the same expression of unease. Earthy brown eyes then shifted towards a certain robot standing a small distance away from the others.

Zane's glowing eyes kept staring off towards the large open entrance to the warehouse, where Master Wu and Kai were last seen.

"Zane, you don't have to stare at the door forever. I'll watch in your place." Cole offered.

"Cole, I feel a sense of unease regarding our brother in arms. Even if he has been practicing the way of the sword before the founding of the Secret Ninja Force, his level of true combat experience is just the same as ours. I fear that he and Master Wu will get themselves into a situation they can not get out of on their own.

"I know how you feel," Cole placed a reassuring hand on the android's shoulder, "I get concerned very easily for others. I still think Master Wu suffered a lapse of judgement letting Kai join him. But he does seem like the kind of person who sees potential where no one else does..."

Zane ruminated on how similar his teammate's touch was to how he often leaned on his shoulder. He didn't know why but whenever he did that, he had this feeling similar to that he would feel whenever he was with Heather, like how a fish would swim about without a care in the world… until it sees food and would think of nothing except obtaining it… as if needing it…

Is this what it feels like to need?

Or was it his desire to fit in being sated and he simply wanted more?

"Zane!" The earth ninja gently shook the humanoid, bringing his mind back to reality.

The dark-skinned teen stared back at the pale robot with a look of concern.

"Am I bothering you?" Cole asked.

"No… In fact, the times you and I are together… I really like it."

"How so?"

"I can not find any reasons within my database. But the feelings I get when you and Heather are near me are not unpleasant. I would simply like to know what it is. I also wonder if I will also feel it when I am with any of our remaining brethren.

"Maybe you will. We still don't know a whole lot about everyone in the team and people's feelings for one another can change."

"They can?"

"Yeah. I've seen the teens at school who can't stand each other one moment and then behave like the best of friends the next. Actually, it's a bit more complicated than that. Not only can people's feelings change but they can experience many different thoughts, emotions, and even feelings at once."

"I… would have never thought that would be possible..."

"It is."

"I presume it is something that makes humans the way they are..."

"Zane, I believe you'll experience these things someday. You have a good heart and you're always very eager to fit in and be treated just like us."

"I do not have a heart."

"I don't mean _that_ kind. What I'm saying is that the way you express yourself and how much you want to fit in with humans. I don't know how to say it but after seeing the way you feel about that… I'd like to show you more and… Maybe it's my instincts talking but I would also like to show you myself, if you don't mind..."

Cole did have this feeling inside him that wanted to make sure Zane would fit in. He had a very sweet disposition and wanted so badly to fit in, similar to how Cole found comfort with the team rather than his father. They were different… yet similar...

Unfortunately, Zane didn't seem to listen to Cole. His angular eyebrows furrowed just a little bit while he stared at the entrance with narrowed glowing eyes.

"Zane -"

"I hear something..." The robot shushed him, which also alerted their teammates.

Human ears can't hear it but Zane was able to pick up the sound with his advanced audio receptors. It was a faint tapping sound made when someone struck a hard surface made of wood or concrete. The android estimated the source of the sound to be within the docks of the city. The taps grew louder, as if whatever was making that noise was heading towards the warehouse. If a human was causing it, the robot calculated a more likely chance that they were just heading towards one of the other buildings on the docks but there was still that ten percent chance they _were_ going to the warehouse.

The tapping grew louder and the ninja and kunoichi held their breath.

Whatever it was… they hoped fate will also show them mercy…

* * *

 **Yup! The cliffhangers are back! You know, this chapter is a bit Kai-centric. It's kinda funny since the Ninjago pilots focused on him. Also, I now have a headcanon that when movie!Nya puts her hair down, it looks like the hairstyle she had in her concept art (which they should've kept) but she's much happier with her ponytail.**

 **Before I go, I'll say it again. Happy New Year!**


	18. The Secret's Out

**Discovering Destiny**

 **We're finally here guys! We're now at a turning point in this story. We'll pick up on the ninja's cliffhanger first & then get to Wu & Kai. A lot will happen so strap yourselves in cuz this is gonna be a wild ride!**

* * *

Chapter 17: The Secret's Out

The tapping sounds Zane heard gradually grew louder. His teammates were still and silent, waiting for any reaction from the robot before they try anything. The echoes' volume rose briefly before fading.

"The source of the sound is drifting further from the warehouse." Zane informed his brethren.

"But what was it?" Lloyd stepped towards the entrance, just to make sure there wasn't any suspicious activities going on at the docks.

The ninja slowly crept out of the warehouse, looking out for any civilians or Wu's secret will be spilled out. Tiptoeing through the docks, they caught sight of something moving across the wooden surface. They crept closer, trying to get a better look. The shape seemed smaller than a human and only after it was caught in the light of Zane's glowing optics, the ninja realized…

It was just a stray dog scurrying about the docks in search of food.

"You had us waiting for days just for THAT!?" Jay practically shouted, prompting shushes from the rest of the group.

"What are you talking about? It's only been a few minutes." Aria said, oblivious to what the lightning ninja really meant.

"You had us all worked up just because of a dog?" Iris was far from impressed by this outcome.

"I am sorry for creating unnecessary emotional turmoil." Zane apologized.

Meanwhile, Lloyd found himself feeling bad for the dog. It probably went through so many struggles just to live another day, much like how he had to face discrimination for pretty much every day of his life while he also wanted to just live his own life.

"Lloyd, what are you doing?" Luna saw the outcast approach the creature.

Upon closer inspection, the dog was surprisingly cute. One of its pointy ears was sticking right up and the other remained floppy. Its short coat was mostly tan with hints of brown and a white underbelly. It was more than likely to be a mixed breed. Lloyd still stepped closer to the dog, who quivered when he was right in front of it.

"Shhh… It's okay..." Lloyd whispered to the canine.

The dog shyly crept over to the young ninja, sniffing his outstretched hand. It gave him a tiny lick and then seemed to already feel comforted by his presence. Lloyd gently petted the critter's nose, which it seemed to like judging from its wagging tail which curled up once it sniffed the human.

"I think you might have something special within you." Cole observed.

"The only special thing about me is being hated." Lloyd brushed off his teammate's comment.

"Not that kind. That dog seems to know you're a good person deep down and the way you tamed it… I have a feeling it'll come in handy someday." The earth ninja explained what he really meant.

"Your ability to empathize with this animal is a sign of what you humans call compassion." Zane added in his usual quirky way.

"Oh yeah, it's not like some giant animal from out of nowhere comes along and I fix everything by just cuddling it. Yup. Really handy." The young pariah scoffed.

"Yet you're still at it." Nya's lips curled into a snarky smirk while observing Lloyd _still_ petting the dog.

"I guess I still see a bit of myself in the dog. It's probably been rejected a lot simply because it doesn't have a home nor does it seem to have a single breed, similar to how everyone else in school hates me because of my dad. Thinking about what this dog may have been through… I don't want it to leave..."

"But we can't keep it. It's already tough for us to train here in secret everyday." Heather pointed out.

"I know..." Lloyd sighed, "Do any of you know where it can stay?"

"I'd like to take him in but pets aren't allowed in Uncle's apartment." Iris said.

"My dad doesn't have anything against pets… except for reptiles and dogs." Cole added.

"Maybe we can talk to Master Wu and convince him to let it live in the warehouse." Aria offered.

"But what about food?" Jay quipped.

"I think I can bring some over," Luna offered, "It'll also need some exercise and on top of that, we have to see if it has an owner and check for parasites and such."

"I would've never guessed you would know a lot about raising a dog." Lloyd was amazed by the timid girl's surprisingly extensive knowledge of dog care.

"It kinda comes with growing up with German Shepherds." The kunoichi of sound was as flustered as ever but secretly took notice that this was possibly the first compliment she received that had nothing to do with her singing.

"Still, what are we gonna do with the dog?" Nya asked.

"Only Master Wu can decide if it can stay or go." Cole answered.

"That is… if he ever gets back..." Lloyd reminded the ninja of his uncle's absence.

It was getting late and there was still no sign of Wu or Kai. The ninja and kunoichi were still worried for their safety. They hoped nothing too drastic was happening to them...

* * *

On the other side of the city, things couldn't be more different for Wu and Kai.

Wu fought off the Shark Army as they tried to beat him into revealing his secrets. Even if he was vastly outnumbered, the elderly man will never let his enemies get what they want.

Hidden in the shadows, Kai looked on, feeling sick to his stomach not because of the spectacle going on before him but the fact that he was ordered to not do anything.

Kai's fingers slid just a tiny bit across the hilt of his katana, the blade quivering over so slightly through the tiny movement. He didn't care what will happen next because of his actions. It's not like him to sit back and do nothing while those around him continue getting hurt. He was always protective of those he cared about and will do _anything_.

There was no going back.

Wu felt the strain of exhaustion starting to wear him down. Still, he will never give in to his enemies. Unfortunately, the Shark Army took advantage of his waning stamina. One threw a few starfish like a bunch of shuriken, one hitting Wu right in the face and covering his mouth. Another fired his bazooka and a net unfurled and ensnared the old man, leaving him at the mercy of the Shark Army.

"Looks like the old geezer's finally letting up! Now, tell us your secrets!" One of the goons threatened.

And that was it for Kai.

Kai literally emerged from the shadows and swung his katana at the Shark Army, distracting them from their original target. The Shark Army didn't expect fighting another person besides their original target but if this brat was on Wu's side, then he's an enemy too. Wu finally peeled the starfish out of his face to scold his disciple.

"No!" Wu was displeased by Kai's disobedience but the fire ninja didn't listen.

Kai swung his katana in the way he was taught for years, scattering the Shark Army. His inexperience in real combat left him with a glaring disadvantage. He was pretty much just flailing his weapon around and barely leaving a mark on his enemies. The Shark Army didn't put much of fight either but mostly because they didn't plan to fight a teenage upstart.

"Stop fooling around! Get him!" What appeared to be the leader of the squadron, given the star on his chest embossed with '#1' on it, commanded the other goons.

The Shark Army's modern weaponry were very different from the katana Kai only ever fought against during his kendo classes and he was never in an actual battle before. No matter how many times the fire ninja swung his blade, it only struck the night air. The Shark Army found it almost hilarious.

"This kid's got nothing on us! Why bother trying?" One soldier bragged.

Kai's temper only flared hotter than ever upon hearing the Shark Army's jeers at him.

Wu believed the fire burning within Kai could guide him to a successful future… just as much as it can consume him and lead to his own destruction.

Kai continued swinging his katana even more erratically, leaving him open to attack.

The soldier with the bazooka fired another net to catch the young upstart unawares. Kai fought within the mangled prison, excessively reliant on his sword to slash his way out of the ropes. Because of the limited space, the fire ninja only gave himself a harder time and nearly cut himself on the blade more than a few times. The Shark Army guffawed at his terrible attempts to free himself.

While the Shark Army was distracted, Wu freed himself from his net and resumed fighting and ended up making more results than his apprentice did. His quick reflexes saved him from further injuries and his experience had him prevailing over his opponents. Even when they relied on what few martial arts techniques they learned, Wu managed to counter them with his own moves.

"What boss said was true! This guy doesn't know when to give up!" A Shark Army member lamented.

The Shark Army didn't want to accept the reality that no matter what they do, the old man will always outsmart them, never mind the pathetic ninja brat who was still tangled in the net. Still, he practically confirmed that Wu was forming some sort of resistance group against Garmadon. If they can tell their boss, then maybe he'll forgive them for not eliminating Wu.

"We're out of ammo! We gotta fall back!" They began to retreat but before they were gone, they were able to find a way to rub salt on the wound for their opponents.

"Congratulations, kid! You just gave yourself away! We owe you one!" The Shark Army managed to get the last word before scurrying back to their base, leaving Wu to free Kai from the net.

"Master Wu! Are you okay?" The very first thing Kai did upon being freed was to examine his mentor. Much to the hot-blooded teen's surprise, he was greeted not by Wu's usually stoic expression but with one filled with anger.

"Kai, I am _very_ disappointed in you," Wu scolded him, "You give in to your anger way too easily and it could've cost you your very life."

"I couldn't just stand there and let you get hurt! You're our teacher and we'll be lost without you!" Kai tried explaining the reason for his brash actions.

"You can't fight every battle, especially those that aren't yours. Now Garmadon will become aware of the Secret Ninja Force."

Only now did Kai realize what his actions have done not just for himself but for the whole team.

"I didn't mean for things to turn out like this. I can't let you fight a whole freakin' army by yourself and not do anything… I'm sorry..."

Wu's expression changed into one of deep contemplation. As disappointed as he was, it didn't make a huge difference in the long run. There will be a time when the Secret Ninja Force and Garmadon and his Shark Army will face direct confrontation with one another, regardless of these events happening or not.

"I won't be angry at you forever. Perhaps it's for the best that my plans have been discovered. Even if you hadn't interfered, Garmadon still would've found out one way or another. If you want to discover your destiny, then you'll also have to face the fact that you can never run away from it."

"What should we tell the others?"

"The truth."

* * *

The remaining members of the Secret Ninja Force still waited with anxiety for Wu and Kai to return.

"I hear footsteps." Zane alerted the others again.

"This better not be another prank..." Iris grumbled.

"Judging from the timing of the echoes, the source is likely to be two humans." The android remained ever watchful, convincing the ninja to give him one more chance.

The entire team soon heard the same footsteps and much to their relief, Wu and Kai finally returned.

"Kai! What happened? Are you hurt?" Nya, knowing how reckless her brother can get, went up to him in a flash and checked for any wounds.

Kai threw off his mask, revealing his face and even messier hair. Other than extreme exhaustion from his haphazard attempts to fight the Shark Army, he seemed fine. He knew his sister and the others will get pissed once he tells the truth but they deserved to know and he was prepared to have them blow up in his face.

"Kai and I survived our mission and we'll leave it at that. There are more important things to discuss." Wu gathered his students before the fire ninja could say anything.

The ninja now couldn't deny that something drastic may have happened during the investigation.

Hearts were pounding, breaths were withheld, and eyes were still, fixated on the old sage. The Secret Ninja Force will face yet another big change. There was no room for sugarcoating, especially when he had something very important to say.

"The Shark Army and by extension, Garmadon, may now know of the existence of Secret Ninja Force."

The very first thing each young ninja did once Wu finished his sentence was varied to say the least.

Nya started berating Kai, assuming he had something to do with it, Jay panicked as he often did, Lloyd started brooding by himself more than usual among others, but it was mostly the young ninja asking so many questions and expressing their

"Enough!" Wu raised his voice, silencing his students once again before things could get too chaotic.

"I understand you all are going through a lot of turmoil. You have every right to react the way you do. But remember, this is what you were prepared for when you became ninja. The Shark Army would've known about us sooner or later and you'll have to face them. The future will always come, no matter what any of us do. You all didn't forget that Garmadon finding out about us was unavoidable, right?"

"That's true. But right now, we're not at the proper experience level to begin fighting the Shark Army." Heather explained.

"Then training must continue. A ninja never quits, no matter what." Wu sternly responded.

"Not even if we fail?" Jay gulped.

"Losing one battle doesn't mean losing the war. The word 'ninja' means 'one who endures'. Life is full of trials and tribulations. Everyone must endure many hardships to discover what they're destined for and who we truly are. To gain something, you mustn't run away and endure every obstacle you face. It sounds harsh but reality itself is harsh. Whether or not you'll overcome them is based entirely on your decisions alone."

The ninja were calm but their teacher can tell they had a lot of thoughts and emotions swirling about in a hurricane of chaos within each mind. Being a patient man, he knew it'll take some time for them to recollect themselves before they can resume training. They'll have to be emotionally sound if they were to make any more progress in their training.

"We'll have further discussions tomorrow. I will see you then." Wu ended today's session.

But even as the ninja left, the tension and grim realization followed them...

* * *

The platoon of Shark Army soldiers sat before Lord Garmadon, their heads hung in shame. Garmadon himself paced in circles before them, all four hands clasped together behind his back. He didn't have to say anything to express his rage.

"You fools had one job, _one_ job, and you blew it!" The warlord exploded and his servants winced.

"We did the best we could but -" One of them pleaded.

"And you were beaten by an old man! And you call yourselves soldiers!" Garmadon sneered.

"But we know now what Wu's doing. He had that one guy with him." One of the soldiers appealed to his leader, hoping to avoid punishment.

"A-and he was dressed all in black… like… like… like a ninja!" Another underling added.

"A ninja…?" Garmadon felt slightly intrigued upon hearing that word. It's been years since he last saw those warriors back in his earlier attempts to conquer Ninjago…

"Tell me more about this… ninja..." He urged his servants to continue.

"We don't know for sure. His face was covered but what we do know is that he wielded a katana. Wu also seemed mad at him when he popped up."

Garmadon was puzzled at first but the pieces started to click together. That foolish geezer always liked to keep his secrets. It would make sense for him to get really upset if they manage to come out and if that ninja or whatever the kid was had something to do with it, then that can only mean...

"It seems you have now confirmed that my… parents' son... _is_ forming a small group to take me down. At the very least, your little skirmish may not have been all for nothing..."

The platoon's hopes were risen by their overlord's lenient comments.

"So does this mean you're not gonna punish us?"

"Of course not..."

"Oh thank god!"

"...I'm just making sure the next group of soldiers will know what they'll be in for if they fail."

"Wait... what?"

* * *

Wu was back on the Destiny's Bounty after his students returned him. A warm cup of freshly brewed green tea was his favorite way to relieve stress and he had a lot of it after what happened today. What tranquility he felt was quickly evaporated by the sudden sound of an explosion.

Wu watched indifferently at Garmadon's volcano-shaped stronghold erupt like an actual volcano. The eruption was so powerful he even felt the ground itself shake just a tiny bit. A few streaks of volcanic smoke reached further than the massive plume right above the dark lord's base, heading towards the forest where the estranged brothers fought a while back. He could've sworn he also heard a noise very much like human screams coming from the trails of smoke yet wasn't too surprised.

Garmadon was always a bit of a perfectionist.

Actions always lead to consequences and whatever those are for Garmadon, he'll have to face them...

* * *

Iris and Lloyd had lunch together at the rooftop like they usually do but today was different. Lloyd was always a somewhat brooding boy so Iris wouldn't have thought anything of it if it weren't for the way the teen pariah would do nothing but stare towards the sea… where his father lurked...

"My dad now knows of the Secret Ninja Force..." He sighed.

Iris wasn't sure how to respond, allowing him to continue.

"He still doesn't know our true identities or who's on the team… But the fact that he still doesn't know that I'm part of it… I'm not relieved at all..."

"Master Wu always said that direct confrontation will be unavoidable once we become ninja." Iris said in an attempt to placate him.

"I know. I never thought it would be so soon and that I'd have these feelings."

"How did you think you would react when you first joined?"

"I thought my feelings won't change. I won't lie. I hate my dad for ruining my life. He was never there for me. Yeah, it was my mom who divorced him in the first place but he could've at least try to visit or send me letters and such. My mom also said that before we were separated, he really did care about me. If he did, then why didn't he make any effort to show it?"

"Did you try talking to your mom about it?"

"I do love my mom but I feel she won't truly understand me. She seems completely intent on having me separated from my dad. It's understandable but I don't think that's what I really want. I've seen all the other kids spending time with their dads and I was always jealous of them."

"So do you hate your dad or not?"

"I think it may be more complicated than that… I want him gone from Ninjago for good… yet I want to find some way for us to be an actual family… I don't know what it is… I might need some time sorting out my thoughts…"

The atmosphere somehow grew more tense with the silence. Lloyd and Iris still couldn't detract their minds away from Garmadon now knowing of the ninja.

"Now that my dad knows of the Secret Ninja Force, all the other families will know too sooner or later. Your uncle… how do you think _he_ will react?" Now it was Lloyd's turn to ask Iris how she felt about all these drastic changes.

"Uncle's a really nice person… but I don't know how he'll react… If I were in his place, I'd feel… angry and even betrayed… I don't know… I'm not him… I also don't _want_ to know what he'll say or do..."

"I understand. I think my mom will be very disappointed if she ever finds out. It's already more than enough for her to have divorced my dad and then to have him reappear as an enemy to her son. She probably went through a lot just for me and then have it all go to waste."

"Then again, your uncle did make us swear an oath of secrecy. I don't like making my uncle or anyone worry but I don't want to break our vow either. But what if something happens and we're caught and found out?"

A bunch of scenarios played out in Lloyd's head. The possibilities of what could happen if the ninja fail on a mission or have their true identities given away were countless and none of them were pleasant. The could be exposed and tortured in front of the whole population of Ninjago City, become disowned by their families, enslaved by the Shark Army, or worse…

Lloyd felt sick just thinking about the worst case scenario. His stomach churned, his throat tightened, and he became dizzy from sudden vertigo.

"Lloyd, are you okay?" Iris attempted to help Lloyd up on his feet.

And just like that, Lloyd lost his lunch.

* * *

 **I think Lloyd's taking this pretty well. Don't you? ;)**

 **The next chapter will focus on how the ninja, especially Kai, process all these changes & maybe we'll see if the dog gets to stay. As always, please review!**


	19. Past is Past

**Discovering Destiny**

 **It's update day! Here, we'll get a glimpse of each ninja's thoughts now that Garmadon knows of the Secret Ninja Force. It's not much but it's a bit of a preview of how things will go from here. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 18: Past is Past

Kai tossed and turned in his bed in his attempt to get some sleep. So far, it didn't do him any good. His thoughts were stuck in the realization that he may have put his loved ones in danger. If he listened to Master Wu, the Secret Ninja Force would still be safe from Garmadon and even the public for just a bit longer. Still, something bad could've happened to his mentor if he sat back. The Secret Ninja Force will then be lost and Garmadon will invade Ninjago without any resistance.

It was either give the ninja away or let Garmadon take over Ninjago unopposed.

Kai was always a risk taker and he ended up choosing the former, potentially at the cost of the safety of his family and friends, which he still didn't want.

" _Even if you hadn't interfered, Garmadon still would've found out one way or another."_

Even with Wu telling him that the team being found out will happen sooner or later, it still didn't give the hot-blooded ninja any comfort. It was still because of his short temper that the other ninja will be forced to fight countless battles they have no hopes of winning right now. Someone foolish enough to cause nothing but problems is not worthy of becoming a swordsman.

'No! I _will_ prove myself! I got us all into this mess so I'm gonna fix it!'

Kai couldn't deny he brought the ninja into this mess sooner than they hoped but it motivated him to also set things straight. The flames of determination still burned within him and he already planned to improve his fighting skills and not only become a great swordsman but also protect his loved ones.

Even after all that's happened, he refused to back down. Once the fires grow into an inferno, it won't be stopped so easily...

* * *

Life went on in Ninjago High but Lloyd wouldn't know. The tremendous stress and emotional turmoil of having to fight his own father left the poor guy bedridden after tossing his cookies the other day. He was pretty much stuck on his bed over the last few days. At least he had his mother, who did whatever she could to help her son recover.

"Lloyd, are you feeling any better?" Koko came in to check on her child and offered some dry toast.

"I think so..." Lloyd shifted his posture until he was sitting upright, somehow managing to do it without being thrown off by nausea.

"If you have any problems, please tell me so I can help you."

Even if he knew it'll compromise his still delicate health, Lloyd thought about his parents' relationship and the reasons he chose to be a ninja in the first place. He was tired of being reviled by everyone all the time and figure out his own feelings towards his father. He took that chance at the cost of creating an even bigger rift between him and Garmadon and render everything his mother had done for him a complete waste.

Then again, everything seems to have a price.

Perhaps his mother knows that better than anyone else…

"Mom… have you ever made any decisions in your life and then regret it…?" Lloyd asked.

"I have done things in the past that if I knew of the consequences, I wouldn't have done them." Koko reminisced of her days as Lady Iron Dragon, which weren't as glorious as the stories claim they were.

"Anything else concerning… you know..." The green-eyed youth didn't want to mention his father but his mother understood who he was talking about.

"I don't regret having you as my son, ever, but I will admit that I was a foolish girl back then. I did want to turn back when I left your father but I did what I felt was best for you."

"So the best thing for me is to never have a father?"

"No. I never meant for things to turn out like this. I know this isn't what you want. I wanted you to live a normal life, just like every other person in Ninjago."

"But as long as Garmadon's my father, I'll never be normal. Maybe… being normal isn't what I want."

Koko felt all the decisions she made for her son coming back to haunt her. She now started to feel she did all those things for her son because it was _she_ who wanted it, not him. It was her selfishness that led to him to being ostracized and never having his father there for him. It wasn't just Garmadon who made Lloyd's life miserable. She ended up sabotaging her own attempts to give Lloyd a happy life.

"Lloyd… I'm so sorry… I'm sorry for being such a terrible mother..." Koko turned away in shame.

Lloyd wondered if he should hate his mother just as much. She brought him, the offspring of the worst man in Ninjago, into this world but he can't simply forget all the things she went through just for him. She loved him despite carrying her evil husband's genes and did everything every caring mother would for their child, even when the people of Ninjago also gave her hell for marrying the dark lord. It wasn't just him who was facing prejudice for his relationship with Garmadon. In a way, she was the strongest person he's ever known without ever having fought before as far as he knows.

"Mom… you're not a bad parent…" Lloyd tried to find the right words to calm his mother.

"I still should've done more for you. This is all my fault."

"No. Even if my dad is evil and everyone hates me because of that, I'm still glad you're my mom."

Koko remained ambivalent over the choices she made but her son's wellbeing was more important.

Lloyd still had plenty of time to discover who he truly was and all Koko knew was that she had already accepted him. After all, that's what mothers are for...

* * *

Ever since the incident with the Shark Army, Nya's been giving Kai the cold shoulder. Even if Kai getting himself in trouble was nothing new to his sister, she was still mad at him for possibly putting the whole group in danger of being found out by Garmadon. While it's true he would've caught wind of them at some point, now couldn't have been a worse time to be discovered and it was all because her brother let his short temper get the better of him.

"Dammit, Nya! It's been days! Get over it!" Kai wouldn't stop bugging her into talking to him again.

Even during their walk to and from Ninjago High, she refused to say anything to him.

Nya was still beyond annoyed by her brother's impulsive temper but what's done is done. There's no use trying to undo what's already happened. As frustrated as she was, never speaking to Kai again was also a lost cause.

"Kai, you're such an idiot," She finally spoke, her voice filled with exasperation, "You keep rushing into things and getting yourself hurt. I swear, you're gonna get yourself killed one day."

"I said I was sorry! Master Wu also said this would happen eventually!"

"You still could've at least wait a little longer!"

"But what was I supposed to do? I won't let the Shark Army lay a finger on you."

"For the last time, I don't need your help. I can fight on my own." Nya quickened her pace to separate herself from her bothersome sibling.

Nya thought of all the things that could happen in the future but more importantly, what they'll mean to her. She was always eager to prove herself and refused to cower in the face of danger. She'll never admit it but she had more in common with Kai than anyone else realizes. She was still competitive and wanted to be the best of the best. She still hadn't given up her dream of being like Lady Iron Dragon. It'll take much more than a bunch of lunatics dressed as sea creatures to drive her off.

Even if Kai's idiocy got her into this mess, it also (in a very perverse way) gave her the chance to prove herself and become the greatest female warrior of her generation.

But one question remained.

Who or what was she doing it all for?

* * *

Zane's optics lit up his room the moment he opened them after recharging during the night. The first subject Zane was focused on was the objective of the Secret Ninja Force. Now that Garmadon knows of them, training will be even more vital. Even with his proficiency with a bow, the android stood little chance against the Shark Army. All the ninja were ill-suited for combat as they were right now.

For some reason, Zane also felt something strange within him.

It was like an urge to improve himself not for his own sake but for others. He found the very concept of surrendering to the Shark Army appalling, even when it may be a wiser decision.

'Is this what Father meant when he said I was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves? Yet these sensations resonating within my very being… are they my own genuine thoughts or instincts due to my original programming?'

"Good morning, Zane." Dr. Julien's voice greeted him.

Zane couldn't help but wonder how his father would react if he was able to tell him he was a ninja. He did program him for protective purposes but he likely wouldn't have thought his creation will become a ninja and directly fight the Shark Army. In fact, he never revealed his reasons for creating him other than to simply protect others. He wanted to respect his father's wishes but at the same time, find out the true reason why he was here and more importantly, if he can be a person.

But how will fighting the Shark Army help him become a person?

Zane still couldn't comprehend how his new duties as a ninja will provide the answers. Then again, his father reminded him that finding out through experiences is what it means to truly live. He wanted to live, not function. Unfortunately, that still didn't explain these urges he has.

All he can do is wait until it's time to train at the stronghold.

For once, Zane found himself unable to wait...

* * *

One thing every member of the Walker family had in common was their talkativeness. They can spend hours talking about one small subject and they were also known to turn a simple question into a huge debate, such as the proper pronunciation of 'tomato'. As quiet as Jay was in public, when he was with his family, he proved he was a Walker deep down.

That is except for today.

"Jay, sweetie, what's the matter? You haven't touched your omelet." Edna encouraged her unnaturally quiet son to eat his breakfast.

After blabbing about the Secret Ninja Force to Luna, Jay was much more cautious when talking about anything related to the ninja with other people, even his own parents.

But that's the least of his worries.

Garmadon might know of the ninja by now and Jay was beyond terrified. He saw him in the news and his completely black flesh, glowing red eyes, and four arms made him look like those monsters he was so scared of as a child. Also, he still couldn't wield his kusarigama without getting tangled in the chain. He had absolutely no chance against Garmadon, let alone the Shark Army. The inwardly panicking boy was too frightened to say anything at all.

"Jay, if you have any problems, go ahead and tell us." Ed also encouraged his son.

However, Jay only felt his guilt consuming him. He had to keep his identity as a ninja a secret from his own parents. Being so close to them, he was always tempted to spill the truth but now that Garmadon knows, he was more adamant on keeping his secret for their sake. He didn't want anyone he cared for to be in danger because of his incompetence but that also made him even more scared.

What if he truly is a no-talent klutz?

Jay felt even more uncomfortable with the way his parents kept staring at him. Also, training time was fast approaching. If only he can find the perfect excuse...

"I gotta go!" He blurted out, "I'm, uh, gonna be late for the audiovisual club! Yeah! Audiovisual club!"

Before Ed and Edna could say or do anything, Jay ran off faster than the speed of light. They were left completely dumbfounded by their son's odd behavior as of late… and…

"Since when was Jay in an audiovisual club?" Ed and Edna asked each other in utter confusion.

* * *

Cole lifted the heaviest dumbbells in his home gym to release his frustration.

The Secret Ninja Force being discovered by Garmadon didn't affect him as much as he knew it should. With his immense physical strength, he was developing his skills with his warhammer but that meant nothing if he'll have to face the Shark Army very soon. He still had no real fighting experience and he had no idea how Garmadon's lackeys fought.

As for still keeping his identity secret after the incident, he was as indifferent as ever.

'I mean, since when have I _not_ kept secrets from my dad?'

Even if Lou hardly ever asked his son anything about what went on in his life, Cole never bothered to tell him anything from school activities to his social life. Despite upholding the ninja's vow of secrecy, he also felt that telling his father won't make much of a difference. He was already a disappointment to his father so it wouldn't matter.

Then something he rarely thought of started to appear within his psyche.

'What would Mom think?'

Until now, the earth ninja didn't put much consideration of what his mother's opinions would've been. He doesn't know anything about her nor why she did what she did. He'll never understand what she ever saw in his father, who would never speak of her.

Would she have allowed her husband to demand their son to be just like him?

What would his life be like if she was alive?

What does she have to do with me being a ninja?

Cole's stomach growled, ending his weightlifting session. Even without his appetite, nothing will give him any answers to his questions. Gaia Charbonneau is dead and the only place she had in the family were her husband and son's memories. The only option for Cole was to press on but even becoming a ninja will never give him those answers… right?

* * *

Heather spent every waking moment thinking of what could happen if the ninja had to fight the Shark Army with their mediocre fighting prowess and none of the images in her head were pretty. She tried to look on the bright side. Maybe the ninja could get lucky but then again, that's what it is. Luck.

This isn't like those movies where the heroes suddenly become efficient fighters the moment they're needed. Becoming an adept warrior takes a lot of time. Heather did work up enough strength to carry a mace without quivering but it'll take much more than that to fend off the Shark Army...

"Heather!" The shopkeeper brought her attention back to reality.

The brunette gasped once she saw what her emotional turmoil was doing to her. She ended up giving too much water to the flowers and some of the flowerpots overflowed and the bouquets she arranged were done so haphazardly some were uneven and others were falling apart.

"I-I'm sorry!" She hurried to fix her mistakes.

"Heather, what's gotten into you?" Her boss looked at her with concern.

"There's been things going on in my life..." She answered.

"Maybe you need some time off. It seems like you've become busier than usual. It's important to also take care of yourself so I'm letting you off today."

The kunoichi of nature was flabbergasted. She was never dismissed from her boss before and having all this happen for the first time completely threw her off.

"But I've never been let off before! And what about the shop?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you later."

Heather marched out of the shop, feeling offended.

She was never dismissed from her work before. To her, this was unheard of. She always did what she's supposed to do, thus everything went the way they should for her. It isn't like her to mess up, let alone make any mistakes. Heather felt her dark blue eyes become wet and her vision blurring. The kunoichi of nature managed to blink back tears but she couldn't understand why.

'This is all because of Master Wu...' She blamed her teacher for her predicament.

Until she joined the ninja, Heather's life was going smoothly. Now, it's become one giant mess and the Shark Army will only make it worse.

'Just what I needed,' She thought sardonically, 'More things going wrong with my life...'

* * *

Aria rolled her blue-green eyes when her cousins' family visited for today but it wasn't that she hated them. Like most families, they had moments of getting along and then acting like sworn enemies the next but that wasn't the cause of her displeasure. She wasn't happy with the comparisons they were often too eager to point out. They had a clear idea of their own ambitions while she was still behind.

"You _still_ haven't decided what to do with your own life!?" Her cousin Dan reacted as if a slug crawled on his hand.

"You never try anything and then stick with it! You're so childish!" Even Dan's sister Sophie thought of her as childish and she was actually _younger_ than her.

"Just because I haven't figured out my dreams doesn't mean I'm stupid or have no talent!" Aria lashed out before stomping away from them.

"Then what is it that you're after? Seriously! Just stick to something for once!"

This time, the olive-skinned girl didn't respond. She simply scowled in the corner, not bothering to pay any attention to her relatives. Aria always had trouble keeping her mind in one place. Before she knew it, she forgot about her argument and her thoughts drifted towards Garmadon and the Shark Army. It was certainly something she never thought she'd have to worry about, at least the way they do now.

She couldn't help but feel a bit of a rush at the thought of doing something even she would've never thought of before. Sure, she always thought she'll find fulfillment on the first day of a school club or a part-time job but this on a completely different level. Aria often said she felt like a bird stuck in a cage, feeling held back from what she could really be.

Was she always meant to be a kunoichi?

Aria couldn't know for certain. She wasn't too keen on the idea that her fate was already decided for her from the day she was born. The olive-skinned girl somehow felt being a kunoichi wasn't worth it if that sort of future was already decided for her. She wanted to be in full control over her destiny. Aria also wanted to believe she made the choice of joining the Secret Ninja Force out of her free will, not because some strange cosmic force chose it for her before she was born.

Freedom and purpose were two completely different concepts to her.

But which one prompted her to be a kunoichi?

She wanted to find out but at the same time, feared what the answer will be...

* * *

Luna smuggled a few dog biscuits before heading off to the ninja's hideout for training. She hurried as fast as her legs could carry her and found herself delighted when she saw the same dog from before. It still seemed shy with humans as it hid just behind the corner of the warehouse.

"It's okay. Come here." The kunoichi of sound held out the treats and the dog cautiously approached her, tempted by the delicious scent. Sniffing her hand, it finally accepted the biscuits.

For a moment, the timid girl was at peace, even when training will begin soon.

Luna continued having reservations of joining the ninja. Yet in an odd way, if she hadn't agreed to be a kunoichi, then she wouldn't have been acknowledged for something other than her love for music. If she turned down being a kunoichi, she'd be the same old Luna Hoffman who only cared about getting her big break.

'But is it worth it?' She asked herself, 'Is finding something else I'm good at worth putting my very life on the line?'

Luna still held a lot of fear in her heart. She still struggled in mastering her sai and the very thought of battling against someone was enough to make her feel queasy.

But if she was such a coward with no real talent, why did Master Wu accept her into the team?

"Luna!" A familiar voice greeted her.

"Iris!" Luna recognized her friend, who arrived for training.

Luna was glad to have someone like Iris for her friend… or anyone as her friend for that matter…

But were the other ninja friends too?

The kunoichi of sound wasn't certain. Just because they'll be seeing each other every day and be part of the same team doesn't mean they'll be friends. Kai and Nya were a little too intimidating and Zane was… odd to say the least…

Right now, she had no choice but to see where her destiny will take her...

* * *

Training went on as usual, even when Lloyd was still absent. Wu insisted for the others to keep training because, as he claims, one's level of prowess with their weapons means little when the time comes.

Iris still didn't fully understand what Master Wu meant but then again, much of his dialogue was just as unnecessarily cryptic as Lloyd said it would back then. As the kunoichi of metal watched Zane and Jay learn to master their weapons, she began to think of everything that was now on the line.

As uncomfortable as she was in keeping such a huge secret, she truly feared what might happen to her uncle and everyone else she knows of finds out. She was still scared of the different ways Karloff could react to her keeping secrets from him, or worse, how _they_ will react.

'T-they wouldn't care,' She brushed off her thoughts, 'I just gotta stay focused then I'll be fine.'

The kunoichi of metal's eyes turned to her weapons. She learned of warriors who fought with a sword and shield like hers many years ago. It was kinda interesting to fight like they did. Too bad those stories never match up to the grim reality.

But Iris was never one to give up so easily. She was still unaware of it but the steel hidden within her was ready to be polished into a powerful force. Whether that force will help her and the Secret Ninja Force or lead to destruction will be decided solely by her choices…

* * *

 **We're really close to some real action but I still don't want to rush either. I'm kinda in a dilemma right now. Still, I'm glad there's people who still enjoy this story & following the characters on their journey. Please review!**


	20. Perfect Isn't Easy

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another day, another update. Here, the ninja now have a lot more at stake as they prepare themselves for the inevitable. It's not much but please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 19: Perfect Isn't Easy

Lloyd was soon well enough to go to school again… except that that's not really a good thing if you're the single most hated person in all of Ninjago.

"I actually kinda missed you," Chen said in his obnoxiously insincere voice when they crossed paths in the hall, "But my aim's getting better."

"Whoa. Don't set your aims too high, pal." Lloyd deadpanned and carried on, not pausing to see how the bully would react.

The outcast can tell the other teens were happier when he was gone. It's always been like that.

"I was hoping he was going to be homeschooled from now on."

"School was actually much more bearable without him."

Lloyd was used to such mean quotes being thrown at him. It came with being related to the worst guy ever. However, not everyone in school hated him.

"Dude! It's been forever!" Kai ran up and threw his arm over his best friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, sure." Lloyd wasn't as enthusiastic but he was still glad to have some people who were willing to hang out with him.

"I have gathered the homework from the lectures you were absent from." Zane gave the young ninja a pile of books and papers, oblivious to his human friend's annoyance.

"Uh… thanks..."

"Lloyd! I almost forgot to tell you we're gonna have to write essays about the phases of the moon and they're due next week!" Aria reminded him.

Lloyd almost felt overwhelmed by his friends surrounding him. He was grateful but he wanted to have his personal space.

"Catching up with you is nice and all but one thing at a time, please." The outcast said.

The ninja backed off to give their friend some space and an easier time readjusting to school life.

"I understand you probably have a lot on your mind right now. Just take your time." Cole said.

It looks like school life won't be changing for Lloyd anytime soon...

* * *

It was lunchtime at the rooftop, the only time in school where Lloyd found some solace. He may hate school more than any other teen but it gave him plenty of opportunities to be with his friends. Also, it gave him the perfect chance to catch up on the lessons he missed.

"Did anything happen at the hideout while I was gone?" Lloyd asked.

"Other than your absence, our training sessions transpired without any anomalies." Zane answered.

"And the dog still hangs out with us." Jay added.

"So Uncle actually let you keep it?" Lloyd was surprised that the dog wasn't caught by their teacher.

"We actually haven't told him yet," Cole said, "It's just one of those things that pop up in your life and you just kinda roll with it."

"Did anything else happen?"

"We're still training with our weapons. I like to think we're making progress." Heather answered.

"So that means I've been left behind..."

"I still don't know what he meant but your uncle said something like 'how good we are with weapons is meaningless when the time comes' and stuff like that." Nya replied.

"Yeah, things wouldn't be so complicated if Uncle wasn't so secretive with everything."

"But now that I thought about it, what if Garmadon's not the only threat to Ninjago?" Aria brought up the possibility that Master Wu might have other reasons for creating the Secret Ninja Force.

"You know, that's a good question..." Heather replied.

"There could be lingering threats that carried over from the Warring Era." Zane added.

"And does anyone else find it strange that not only do very few people talk about those times in public but that not a whole bunch of details are well remembered even when it was so recent?" Jay noticed that their history lessons rarely brought up the Warring Era. The most they heard from it was from the stories of Kai and Nya's parents which the siblings passed on to their teammates.

Maybe Wu or even Garmadon may have something to do with it?

But knowing their secretive teacher, the ninja decided that asking him about the Warring Era will get them nowhere.

Still, maybe as ninja, they'll find the answer one day...

* * *

Lloyd was back to training at the ninja hideout, as well as constructing his dragon mech. He wanted to make up for lost time and get his creation finished before Garmadon could do anything drastic. It was probably a good thing he didn't do anything yet but the young ninja wasn't all that relieved.

'...Dad...'

Lloyd still had so many mixed emotions regarding his father.

If they do meet, will Garmadon still recognize him?

Lloyd wasn't looking forward to seeing his father, especially like this…

Yet he didn't…?

The green-eyed youth thought his feelings towards his father would go nowhere beyond simply hating him. Garmadon was never present in his life, making no effort to check on him or even offer support to his own wife. Not only did he neglect his son but he went on with his life as if the only woman who ever looked past his dark ambitions never existed. Sure, he was evil but was it really that difficult to at least try to pretend that he cared?

Is that the real reason why Lloyd resented his father so much?

Was it not because of his dark ambitions but he _wanted_ to spend time with him but never did?

As a ninja, this could be his one chance to get close to Garmadon and get the closure he sought for so long. But while he might know of the ninja now, Garmadon still has yet to make his move, which was a cause of even more frustration for Lloyd. He tried focusing on building his mech but all of his thoughts were consumed by his father, much to his displeasure.

'Dammit, Dad...'

Even without his presence, Garmadon still had a way of making his son's life a living hell.

With his training over for the moment, Cole maladroitly fell back onto the cushion right next to Lloyd, creating a big vibration that startled the young ninja from his work and his thoughts.

"Cole! I'm concentrating!" Lloyd snapped.

"No need to bite my head off," The earth ninja remained lackadaisical, "So, how's your project going?"

"I'm still catching up. I managed to get parts of the torso done but I still have a long way to go." Lloyd still struggled to bring his focus back to building his mech.

"Do you still want to do this? Even when we'll have to fight against your own dad?"

"It shouldn't matter. I hate him."

Cole felt Lloyd's answer ring close to home. He also didn't get along father but unlike his teammate, he never had a mother who was there for him.

"Do you really think you're the only one?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you also hate your mom? It's not Garmadon alone who brought you into this world." The hammer wielder reminded his teammate that he wasn't the only person in Ninjago who probably suffers from being related to him.

Lloyd remembered his conversation with his mother the other day. He can't deny that the choices his mother made resulted in him being trapped in a society who hates him for the person he's related to. Even with all the sacrifices she made and her genuine love for him, he couldn't let go of the fact that she was the one who left Garmadon and not the other way around.

"I know I shouldn't hate her but I've also started asking myself, 'Should I?'. She chose to marry my dad and then have me in the first place. After that, she just left him. She said she wanted to do what was best for me… Is the best thing for me growing up with no dad and having to be surrounded by people who hate me for just one part of myself?"

"I don't think she would've known it'll turn out like that. As long as she's trying to help you, then she's not a bad mom."

"I guess..."

"You should also be grateful to still have your mother."

"Wait… Why are you saying it like that? What… what happened to _your_ mom?"

"She's… she died when I was just a baby..."

Lloyd let out a small gasp. He probably offended Cole by bringing up his dead parent.

"I-I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize. You didn't know and it's no one's fault over what happened to her."

"But if you're saying I'm lucky to have my mom, does that mean you also hate your dad?"

"I wouldn't really say 'hate', but I definitely don't have the greatest relationship with my dad. He and I are very different. Nobody's the same and the real problem is that my dad refuses to accept that. He's always judging everyone and thinks anyone who doesn't share his interests or tastes are below him."

"What does he like?"

"He was part of a barbershop quartet. I know. Laugh all about it."

Surprisingly, Lloyd kept a straight face but Cole continued.

"He's also a total snob. He constantly brags about his accomplishments, demands only the best of the best from everyone and everything, and looks down on anyone who's not rich, famous, or doesn't like classic music and other old-fashioned stuff."

"And what does that have to do with your relationship?"

"He kept forcing me to follow in his footsteps when I was little and even if I like all kinds of music, I just can't see myself doing what he's already done. I want to be who I am and that's not being just like my dad. Again, the real problem about it is that he refuses to even _try_ understanding that. They say family is the greatest thing for anyone to have. But my dad's the only family I know and we don't get along at all. Is having a family still a good thing if your own family will never understand or accept you?"

Lloyd never really thought that there were others who were going through the same ordeal as him. He truly was selfish, just like Garmadon.

"I… never thought I wasn't the only person who has issues with my father… I guess I _am_ a selfish brat… Does that make me no better than him…?"

"Of course not. Every person has their own ups and downs. In a way, that's what makes us human."

"So we _do_ have some things in common… Maybe that's why we're friends..."

"Friends don't have to like or go through the same things. Sometimes, it's their differences that make them get along, kinda like having the yin and the yang."

Lloyd wasn't too surprised Cole would know so much about friendship. He was regarded as one of the most popular guys in school and probably has more friends than the other ninja. It was still something of a miracle to the pariah that the music-loving cool guy would choose to hang out with him when he could be with just about every other teen in Ninjago High.

"I don't want to sound rude but knowing that there's at least one person who understands how I feel or are going through the same things I do makes me feel a little better." Lloyd confessed.

"You're not alone, Lloyd. Remember that." Cole gave one last bit of advice before resuming training.

Lloyd finally felt at ease, now knowing that he may be different but he didn't always have to be lonely.

* * *

Nya and Aria found themselves facing each other in today's training. Due to how different their chosen weapons were, this was bound to be interesting.

"Begin!" Wu ordered their duel to commence.

Aria immediately dashed towards Nya, pulling one of her daggers back before swinging it at full force towards her opponent. The kunoichi of water ducked before skidding to the side. She would've used her spear but she didn't have enough space to do even a simple thrust of her weapon.

Nya leaped backwards to create more space between herself and Aria, as well as give more room for her spear to swing. However, Aria was quick on her feet and was able to escape from the blade of the spear. The kunoichi of wind spent much of her time dodging her friend's weapon but she attempted to strike with her daggers whenever she got close. Nya also evaded her attacks when she was close but her attempts at dodging, while successful, were very awkward, not that a certain ninja minded.

"Nya's always so amazing." Jay smiled like a dreamy fool.

"Of course!" Kai bragged, "She's my sister!"

The two girls continued their duel, each showing their advantages and disadvantages. Aria constantly moved but also struck whenever she saw the chance, just like the gales that can even take down the sturdiest trees. On the other hand, Nya had no singular pattern in her fighting method. Sometimes she stood her ground and in other times, roamed through the makeshift battlefield. Her movements were an allegory to the ocean itself. It was either a still and serene or a vicious, relentless tsunami. She too embodied her element.

"That's enough." Wu ended the duel.

"Your fighting styles befit your elements as well as how they provoke one another. Aria, you're always moving about, just like the winds. As for you, Nya, you are calm one moment and merciless the next. The sea itself is still during peaceful times but can quickly turn into a relentless whirlpool if provoked. Fierce winds can also strengthen the waves of the ocean. Like your elements, you can work together to contribute to the team, that is, if you learn to master your own fighting styles." Wu went on one of his cryptic lectures before dismissing the girls.

"You weren't bad." Nya commended her friend.

"But I'm not as good as you," Aria sighed, "You're always so competitive and know what you're after."

"That's right!" The tenacious girl boasted, "I'm gonna be the Lady Iron Dragon of our generation!"

"You know Lady Iron Dragon didn't fight with a spear."

"I know. Still, it's been a lifelong dream of mine. You probably know that already."

"I wonder how I'll be able to fight with these," Aria's eyes turned to her daggers, "They don't seem to have much range nor do they look like they'll do much damage."

"You're smarter than you let on. If I were in your place, I probably would've tried keeping my distance and given my weapon, I'd be in big trouble. Everyone's good at something. We're still just learning how to use our weapons. Daggers can still be pretty useful if one knows what they're doing."

Aria felt tense by Nya's choice of words. She had no idea what the future will hold for her and that was part of the reason why she was here in the first place.

But does that make her selfish?

And is she really in over her head for joining a group of ninja?

Aria herself had absolutely no idea what it truly means to be a ninja, or anything for that matter. She was also aware that she could be getting herself in big trouble and that being a kunoichi could end up being yet another fad for her. She was already starting to wonder if she should just quit.

'Then again, no one here is exactly ninja material...' The kunoichi of wind tried to comfort herself with the fact that she wasn't the only one who may not know what the ninja will get themselves into.

"Aria! You're zoning out again!" Nya's voice brought her back to reality.

"S-sorry..."

Looks like nothing can change overnight, which Aria wasn't too fond of.

Patience wasn't always her forte...

* * *

Zane studied for the upcoming history exam in the school library, or made it look like it was. With his extensive database, he knew all about the history of Ninjago, from the year the treadmill was invented to each victor of every recorded battle in the Warring Era. But humans lack a database and he wanted to go through the same experiences they do, thus he would _never_ scanned his database during exams. He had considered asking his father to find a way to actually block access to it whenever he was taking a test. But he also wanted learn on the same level and pace as his teammates during training sessions. While studying wasn't really necessary for him, he simply did it to be just like the humans he attended Ninjago High with.

Zane shifted his optics' gaze away from the books momentarily but didn't expect to catch sight of one of the people in the library.

"Iris! Your presence sure is a welcome surprise." The android greeted his teammate.

"It's lunchtime for me but I wasn't hungry," Iris explained herself, "So why are _you_ here?"

"I must prepare myself for the upcoming history exam."

"I see..."

Iris was both put off but fascinated by Zane's quirks. He's always trying so hard to be just like humans. He did seem like he tries a little too hard sometimes but she couldn't deny he was very kind. The robot was always eager to help the ninja and

Zane found Iris' ability to go about her days wearing what she wears and not heeding any disparaging comments spoken against her almost enviable. Really, he found every human he has known enviable, from the confident Nya to even the brooding Lloyd.

"I wonder why you're so keen on fitting in with people. I personally think it's better to be unique."

"That is true. Every human is unique. But what truly draws me to them is how… different they can be, and it is not only their differences as individuals. Every human can change in many ways. They start off as vulnerable infants and then grow into adults, all while constantly redefining themselves. They have full control of choosing who they want to be and what they do."

The kunoichi of metal noticed how… sad… her robotic teammate looked when he began to reflect on how different he was from humans...

"As for me, I was built with the appearance I have now, unable to change, forever frozen in time. I was also programmed for one purpose which am also forever bound to."

"And that is…?"

"To protect others who cannot protect themselves. That is what Father tells me. I want to respect his wishes but I do not want to function or have my life decided for me… that is… if I do have a life..."

"You're alive, aren't you? You go to school with all the other teens and we train together. Other than being a robot, you're not really different from us."

"The main cause of my concerns is that no one else seems to believe that… and I remain unsure if I am simply who I am, even if my body was comprised of organic flesh and blood."

"Maybe you shouldn't get so caught up on your differences. No single person is the same."

"That is true. Each and every one of you humans are different. However, I have also been meaning to ask you of this. What is it about the concept of uniqueness that makes you believe it is better?"

"I actually never really thought about standing out when I first came here. But then I started hanging out with other girls and even began wearing Sweet Lolita clothing for the first time. I really liked it and something just clicked within me. I had a feeling that this was what I was meant to be. My uncle told me that if I'm happy with the way I am, then I shouldn't change. I do get upset when I'm told I'm too girly or judge me by my clothes. Then I decided that if they don't like the way I dress, it's their fault."

The way Iris talked about her interests seemed harmless but there was something about the way she carried herself and boasted her beliefs that gave Zane this feeling that Iris may be a little overzealous with her self-acceptance.

Then again, humans are very flawed, which actually captivated the android and it fueled his yearning to truly live alongside them...

* * *

The Shark Army assembled for yet another meeting with their overlord, among them being the brand new General #1, the former General #2 before his predecessor and his lackeys was fired… literally.

"As you all know by now, it appears my parents' pesky son is forming a resistance group to oppose me. So far, only one person has been confirmed to be working under his orders. The previous General #1 described him as a ninja, appearing young and wielding a katana. He's probably a teen. Wu always had weird tastes."

"Is that where we come in…?" One of the lackeys spoke up. Garmadon glared at her, silent reminding her that he hates being interrupted.

"As I was saying, it seems I won't be able to take over Ninjago as easily as I had hoped. You'll not only bend the denizens of Ninjago City to my will but you will also stop my brother and whoever has been brainwashed by him. You better not disappoint me. Do I make myself clear?"

"N-no sir…!" The new General #1 broke into a sweat.

"Good. You know what happens to those who fail me."

The Shark Army shuddered to imagine being punished by Garmadon. He was such a perfectionist and even one tiny mistake can set him off. They've seen him lose it over his #1 Dad mug being one measly centimeter away from where he usually puts it. With such ridiculously high standards to live up to, the Shark Army will have their work cut out for them…

* * *

 **I know this chapter dragged a bit but I promise, the ninja will get the uniforms they wear in the movie (still figuring out the designs for my OC's) & fight the Shark Army very soon. I did struggle a bit writing this cuz my family's on hard times right now but I'll still do my best. Your reviews & support mean so much to me & at over 50 reviews already, I couldn't be more grateful. I'll see you later & review!**


	21. Branching Out

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Wow! 20 chapters guys! I can't believe how fast time flies! Also, things are becoming 'stable' as you could call it with my real life stuff going on so I think I'll still be able to keep writing. I think I enjoyed writing this more than I should have plus we'll reach another milestone but I hope you enjoy it too.**

* * *

Chapter 20: Branching Out

The Ninjago City Mall had it all. There was a large variety of fashion outlets, cafes, and just about every shop for everything. It was obviously the most popular place for the teens of Ninjago City to hang out. The members of the Secret Ninja Force were no exception. Besides their growing responsibilities, they were really not that different from any other teen.

Aria did enjoy shopping every now and then. She always liked to mix and match different clothes and come up with different outfits to wear. Unfortunately, her capricious ways caused her to get a little too carried away now and then and she had ended up spending too much money on clothes. She couldn't help it. She can become quite the shopaholic whenever there was something new or interesting that caught her eye.

While looking at the various blouses at Eternal 18, Aria's attention was diverted to the familiar sight of long auburn hair tied in a ponytail. Ever since she started her training, she was now able to recognize that person no matter where she was.

"Luna!" The kunoichi of wind gasped upon recognizing her teammate.

"Aria! What are you doing here?" Luna rushed up to her, just as surprised.

"I could be asking you the same thing!"

"I was just spending my weekend. And you?"

"I wanted to see if they got anything new here."

"They do have some new earrings that came out recently."

No sooner had Luna finished that Aria made a quick dash to the store's jewelry display, hoping to find something that could match some of the clothes she already had. Luna merely gaped at her teammate spending many minutes trying to decide which accessories to get and couldn't help but feel annoyed that Aria ended up not getting anything.

"Looks like there's nothing good here today." The kunoichi of wind shrugged and left. Out of curiosity, Luna ended up following her.

"You don't have to follow me." The olive-skinned girl told her.

"Oh! S-sorry. I should probably go back..." Luna stuttered sheepishly.

"Wanna hang out?" Aria asked all of a sudden.

Even outside of school and with someone she's been training alongside for some time, Luna was still just as shy as ever. Seriously, she could even make _Jay_ look like a socialite.

"You… want to hang out… with me…?" The kunoichi of sound could only whisper.

"Sure. It might also help you loosen up a bit."

"Loosen up…?"

"Yeah! I'll show you some of the shops I like!"

Aria literally dragged Luna to her favorite places to shop. Surprisingly, Luna wasn't as reluctant as Aria thought she would be. The music-loving girl was just as keen in shopping as her spirited teammate but was definitely wiser with her spending.

"Not trying to be rude or anything, but I never thought you would enjoy shopping." Aria remarked.

"I do have some interest in fashion, just not as much as music." Luna admitted.

"So what kind of clothing do you like?"

"I never put too much thought into it but I always like to look presentable. And you?"

"I like coming up with my own unique outfits but then again, I always have this fixation with anything that lets me think up of new ideas."

Aria eyed Luna going through her extensive collection of songs in her lPhone. All she knew of the shy girl was that she loved singing and wanted to become an idol. Does that still hold true even after she became a kunoichi?

"What kind of N-Pop artists do you like?" Aria tried to take a quick peek but Luna instinctively moved her phone away from her view.

"I do love N-Pop Girl but then again, don't we all?" She answered after putting her phone away.

"Anyone else?"

"I also love Katsune Riku, 2NT1, Got5, and… well, it's no use counting. I like them all."

"I don't think I can name every single N-Pop idol or group. My favorite song keeps changing."

"I understand. Sometimes, I could listen to one song on repeat for hours on end and before you know it, I'm doing it again with a different song."

"But what about the fame and pressure? No offense, but I don't think a shy person like you would be able to survive all that."

"I don't want to become an idol for money or recognition. I never really cared about getting my fifteen minutes of fame or getting rich. Music has been part of my life longer than I can remember. You could say I want to sing for the sole sake of it. Singing always made me happy and the only thing I want to do as an idol is to share that feeling with everyone."

"So even _you_ know what sort of future you want..."

"Why are you saying that? Don't you have your own hopes and dreams too?"

"I do… The main problem is that… I don't know what they are… They could be like yours or something completely different. All I know is that I feel that there's something out there… waiting for me… I want to find it but at the same time… I'm kinda scared because I don't know what they are…"

"Is there anything you enjoy doing?"

"I don't know… There's so many things that catch my interest but once I give it a try, I feel it's not what I hoped it was and quit… I do really enjoy some stuff like shopping and dancing, but I don't think you'd be able to make a career out of those..."

"I think I understand. Sometimes, I get scared of what my life might be like if I become an idol. Being recognized no matter where I go, getting chased by the paparazzi, and living up to the fans' extremely high standards, it's all a bit frightening. But they don't diminish my love of singing. Like I said, I want to sing for the sake of singing."

'Doing something for the sole sake of it...' Aria thought of the idea of trying something not because of the novelty or rewards but out of genuine enjoyment.

But then again, there were many things she enjoyed and she was never good at making decisions. She might as well have no future...

* * *

Today's music club session was over but Cole didn't feel like going home so soon. He'd rather be away from the mansion until training was done instead of taking a quick stop there. As usual, the earth ninja had his radio propped up on his shoulder belting out the latest hits by ACDC at max volume. Once he passed by the door of one of the supposedly empty classrooms, it swung open, nearly hitting his face, throwing him off balance, and worst of all, made him drop his radio.

The moment he felt his radio fall out of his grasp, for once, Cole's heart was filled with absolute horror. It was his most prized possession. Without it, he'll have no music and with no music, he's nothing. He could do nothing but watch with dread as the radio descended to the ground…

But it didn't.

The pressure in Cole's chest was lifted when a pair of unnaturally pale hands caught the radio before it could hit the floor.

It was Zane.

The ice ninja lifted the radio with surprising ease and handed it over to his music-loving teammate.

"I am sorry for startling you." The robot apologized.

"Thanks, man." Cole was beyond relieved and even wanted to cry right then and there but took back his beloved radio.

"What were you doing in there?" He asked.

"I was playing 'The Iceman Puncheth' for today's meeting of the audiovisual club." Zane answered.

"This school doesn't have an audiovisual club..."

"It does. In fact, I am the founder and currently the only member of the club."

"That's kinda sad..."

"Jay has said the exact same thing a few weeks ago."

"It is. You're pretty much all alone."

"I admit being all alone in a classroom can evoke a sense of melancholy. I have asked our fellow teens if they have any interest in joining. So far, none of them wanted to join."

"What are you gonna do now?"

"I am preparing for my trip back to my residence. What are your plans for the time we have between now and training at the hideout?"

"I'm just gonna chill in the city until we gotta start training."

"Humans can survive in most temperatures. Only when faced with the threat of overheating will they require having their body temperatures lowered. Yours is stable so there is no need to do such."

Apparently, Zane still had trouble grasping the concept of sarcasm. Fortunately, Cole was patient… and didn't think any less of him.

"I'm still gonna go to the city anyway." The earth ninja said.

"May I accompany you?" The android offered.

"Knock yourself out."

Zane's optics focused on his hand. He curled it into a fist like the characters from some of the martial arts movies he plays at his audiovisual club. After a few moments of still silence, the android punched himself right on the side of his cranium, causing his whole head to spin a couple of times.

"Zane!" Cole knew the robot still has yet to understand figures of speech but he was shocked that he would go as far as to punch himself.

The gears within the humanoid clicked as his head, which was pretty much screwed backwards, slowly rotated in small jerky movements like the hands of a clock back to its proper alignment.

"I am sorry. I was unable to knock myself out." Zane's face twitched for a moment but he was fine.

Cole gave a bemused snort at the robot's naivete. Zane's mannerisms were undeniably strange yet he still had a way of being very endearing because of it. Still, he found it best to be more careful with his choice of words when talking to the robot...

* * *

The duo ended up just strolling through the streets of Ninjago City but they were enjoying themselves. Zane always liked seeing how humans make their own experiences and live out their lives while Cole was just relieved to be anywhere except his home.

"So Zane."

"Yes?"

"I can't help but wonder… Why do you want to be seen as the same as humans so badly?"

"Humans are all so different… They can grow, learn, and make their own experiences. They also have full control over their lives while also being controlled by their own emotions. And above all, humans are able to choose their own destiny and even the very reason why they were brought to this world… unlike me..."

"What do you mean?"

"I was programmed to protect others. I have nothing against such a purpose but what I truly want is to live and make my own experiences and truly learn from them instead of just functioning according to the programming installed within me."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"I want to have the same experiences or at least interact with humans but all of my efforts are never seen as genuine. I am always dismissed and never given a chance because I am not an organic being. But if I am as emotionless as the people in school say I am, then why do I have these… urges…?"

"Urges...?"

"I do not like being deemed 'emotionless'. It fills me with this… need... I feel that I have to prove them wrong. I want to believe that other than my physical composition, I am the same..."

"Then you _do_ have emotions."

"I do not..."

"No. That desire to be seen and treated just the same as humans is all you. If you were programmed do absolutely nothing but protect others, you wouldn't care if you were treated differently but you're here, telling me that you just want to be the same as other people. That desire stems from your own feelings, not a bunch of wires and numbers. That makes you a person, just the same as all of us. You're also a good person and that's all that matters."

"How am I a good… 'person'…?"

Even if he was associated with ice, there seemed to be absolutely no 'coldness' in Zane. He was calm and methodical but never 'cold'. He was never unfriendly, not even when he was dismissed as nothing but a machine, which he apparently dislikes. During training, he would always give advice to the other ninja with nothing but sincere encouragement. The android was possibly the kindest person Cole has ever met and he wanted him to know that.

"The way you're always smiling and still trying to prove to Ninjago that you're not that different from everybody else. That takes a lot of courage and determination. I remember Master Wu saying that you have an association with ice that has nothing to do with being cold and he's right. You're a sweet and kind person and whether you're man or machine can never change that."

"I still wonder why you concern yourself with me, an inorganic being..."

"For some reason, I feel that every single life is precious. Every person is different but also, no person is perfect. Even then, I always focus on the positive traits of others. I don't care if you're young or old, rich or poor, and the like. All that matters is if there's even just one good thing about you, then that's enough to convince me to give you a chance."

"Perhaps that is why you were quick to befriend Lloyd?"

"Yeah. He's not his dad… just like how I'm not mine either…"

"Are you going through an emotional plight much like our teammate?"

"Yeah. We do have a couple of things in common. I do sympathize with him and would like for him to know that he's not alone. I also have this desire to help anyone in need, from comforting them when they're sad to just getting something off a high shelf. I actually don't know where these feelings come from. All I know is that I want to help everyone in any way I can."

"Perhaps discovering yourself is the key. In fact, doing so may also deliver the answers I seek."

Cole and Zane then realized the latter planned on going home and they've spent a lot of them in the city already.

"You did say you wanted to go back to your place. You mind if I join you?" Cole reminded Zane.

"I would be glad to have company." The robot accepted the human's offer.

* * *

Cole followed the robot back to his apartment. He read the small plaque on the door saying 'Julien'...

'Julien as in Dr. Julien? _The_ Adam Julien, the greatest engineer of Ninjago?' Cole mused to himself.

"I am home, Father." Zane called once he opened the door.

The apartment was modest and tidy, the exact opposite of the huge ostentatious mansion Cole called home. The abode only had the necessities of a home as well as a few complex sets of machines, which didn't surprise the guest given the engineer's reputation. The esteemed genius sat on the sofa, his old grey eyes shining with joy and even his many wrinkles failed to diminish his glee upon seeing Zane.

"Father, I am sorry for my delayed return." Zane greeted him.

"Zane, I'm so glad you're safe." Dr. Julien embraced the robot with the warmth of a parent's love.

"May I ask who this young man is?"

"He is Cole Charbonneau, a classmate from Ninjago High."

"Charbonneau… I swear I've heard that name before…"

Cole felt shivers traveling up his spine. He didn't want to be known only as the barbershop singer Lou Charbonneau's wayward son.

"Maybe my mind's just playing tricks on me. I have been in this world for so long and I have also met so many people I can't possibly remember all of them. My wits aren't as sharp as they used to be." Dr. Julien dismissed his familiar feelings, much to his guest's relief.

"So you're the esteemed Dr. Julien?" Cole was still surprised to be facing one of the most brilliant men in all of Ninjago.

"I wouldn't say 'esteemed' though I was often praised during my prime..." Dr. Julien modestly replied, "By the way Zane, this is the actually very first time you brought someone over. I'm guessing you two are acquaintances?"

"In a way, yes," Zane still took the ninja's vow of secrecy seriously, even if he didn't like keeping secrets from his father, "He is also the first person after you who told me I am a good person."

"Of course you are. Zane, no matter what anyone says, you're the same as the rest of us humans deep down. Don't ever question yourself."

Cole noticed how different he and Zane were. Unlike him, Zane had a very loving relationship with his creator, no, father. Even if he was a robot, Dr. Julien saw the humanoid as his own son rather than just another one of his inventions. He was also very encouraging and accepted his son the way he is, never telling him to change, nothing at all like his narrow-minded and demanding father.

"You should probably head home," Dr. Julien told Cole, "Won't your father be worried?"

"I'll be fine."

"But what about -"

"It's nothing to worry about." Cole raised his voice just a little bit, startling Zane and Dr. Julien.

"Maybe I have spoken too much..." The old man sensed that things weren't going so well between the strong teen and his father.

"It's no big deal. I'm still gonna go home after… after Zane and I meet with the others..."

"I don't mean to intrude but what are you doing in this group?" Dr. Julien asked.

"We're… working on a group project… for school..." Cole lied with less qualms than Zane.

"What for?"

"It's for… history class..."

"Well then, stay safe and have fun you two."

"I promise we will, Father." Zane vowed before leaving with Cole, who was still unsure what to think of his differences between himself and the robot.

But what bothered him more was why he was worked up about it in the first place...

* * *

It was the weekend and some of the ninja found time to hang out, such as a certain pair...

Jay and Kai were engrossed in their Fist2Face gaming marathon. Nya would've joined if she hadn't left to hang out with some other friends already, which left the lightning ninja disappointed. Although Kai was a more 'passionate' gamer, Jay would always prevail over him. Kai tried his signature 'Ring of Fire' combo… only for Jay to defeat him… again.

"Shit! This is the fourth straight time you've beaten me!" Kai complained.

"Maybe you shouldn't keep using the exact same combo all the time." Jay suggested.

The fire ninja narrowed his hot amber eyes at his teammate in annoyance. The perpetually fidgety boy flinched under his glare and almost thought Kai's eyes were actual flames burning with pure hatred. It was enough to shut him up.

Jay was actually a little scared of Kai when it was just the two of them. The Hinata siblings were both temperamental but the fire ninja was definitely the worse of the two. He could burst into fits of rage over anything, especially when it comes to his sister, which only made things worse for the timid boy.

Like Cole, Nya was considered one of the more popular teens at school. Of course that earned her the attention of more than a few guys. Even when Nya always proved that she was more than capable of defending herself, Kai would always chase or scare off any guy in school who would so much as to look at her for more than a few seconds. Only now did Jay realize that he may have jinxed himself.

"What? Say something!" Kai grew irritated by Jay's silence.

The freckle-faced boy attempted to respond but the only noise to come out of his mouth was nothing but a really strange squeak.

Kai still carried doubts about his teammates, Jay among them. He had known the timid boy for years and knew he was really smart deep down. He always got good grades and knew more about machines and anything to do with technology than him but his self-consciousness was a huge issue. Jay always panicked over what people would think of him and would become a total klutz while doing so, which was a lot. The fire ninja still wondered how Wu came to the conclusion that such a fragile boy can be the lightning ninja.

Yup. Jay's future was looking bright all right.

* * *

Wu observed the Secret Ninja Force training as he always does.

With all of his students learning how to use their weapons, the time for them to start going out on real missions drew near. They were still far from being true masters of the way of the ninja but no one, not even Wu and Garmadon, can become masters overnight. But they'll have to start somewhere.

"Students. This part of your training is nearing its end and this occasion shall be marked by something new." Wu summoned his pupils.

"Something new…?" Iris echoed her teacher.

"You'll be getting your own unique uniforms." He finally answered.

Knowing Wu took his time explaining things, the ninja didn't bombard him with ample questions this time. However, they were just as surprised, intrigued, and even unnerved.

"Really? Can you show us?" Aria asked, curiosity already getting the best of her.

"Each one of you will discover who you are. Because of that, you will be designing your own uniforms. You will branch out into your own individuals so even the way you'll appear to the public will also be a testimony of your unique identities."

While some of the ninja were thrilled to choose the design of their uniforms, others were unsure.

"Getting our own uniforms are cool and all but we're ninja, not fashion designers." Kai complained.

"Speak for yourself! I'm all for it!" Nya was already looking forward to adding some cool touches she had in mind for her uniform.

"But how are we gonna make our uniforms?" Jay asked, "We don't know how to make clothes and if get our parents to do it, won't that make them suspicious?"

"And how are we gonna get the materials?" Heather pointed out.

"You won't have to worry about getting the things you'll need. Once you come up with your designs, I'll procure the necessary materials. But after that, you must make them yourselves." Wu answered.

The ninja all had various thoughts about branching out even further as individuals but one thing they all shared regarding their next big change was the anticipation…

* * *

 **Now the ninja will finally get the gi they wear in the movie! I have some ideas for my OC's uniforms but if you have any suggestions, I'd like to know! Review!**


	22. Fashion Passion

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Okay guys. This chapter will be more lighthearted as we see the ninja & kunoichi struggle to come up with designs for their gi. As always, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 21: Fashion Passion

The Hinata siblings would almost everything together in the comfort of their home. They helped each other with homework, had gaming marathons, and even do chores together. Their new task of coming up with their individual uniforms was no exception. While Nya was thrilled to make her own uniform, designing clothes was way outside Kai's comfort zone.

"This is bullshit!" Kai threw up his arms, sending papers flying, "I'm not gonna waste my time playing fashion designer when Garmadon's out there turning putting the whole city in danger!"

"Oh give it a rest," Nya rolled her eyes, "I'm already coming up with my design."

Nya's sketches all had some variation of samurai armor adorning her uniform along with small touches of blue, her favorite color. Those two aspects were the only things she wanted in her uniform.

As for Kai, he couldn't come up with anything besides the uniform being red.

"I'm not gonna waste my time on this shit. I'll just wear that suit Master Wu made me wear when we faced the Shark Army." Kai stomped off.

"Then the Shark Army's gonna recognize you," Nya noted, "Unless you want the want to be found out, you're gonna have to wear something different."

"Fine by me!" Her brother hollered from the hallway.

The kunoichi of water shook her head and carried on with her ideas. She didn't care if Kai will ridicule her. No matter what his decision will be, hers will definitely be better.

* * *

Zane wandered through Ninjago City, taking in all the sights, sounds, and anything to stimulate the five senses. He hasn't forgotten about designing his uniform and looked at the clothes of the many fashion outlets in the city, assuming the latest trends might offer some inspiration. Today, he wasn't alone.

"Zane! Check this out!" Jay showed the robot some functions he installed into his lphone. What set his phone apart from the rest from now on was that it can call more than one phone at the same time.

"I have never seen any lphone that can do such a thing. You must possess an extensive knowledge of technology to have your phone do so." The android commended Jay's skills with machines.

Jay blushed and hid his face in his scarf, being so easily flustered even by compliments.

"There is no need to hide. Danger levels are at a minimum." Zane tried to comfort his teammate.

Ever since they first met, Zane was awed by Jay's enthusiasm with gadgets and the like. The usually shy boy was almost like a completely different person whenever he was working with machines or coming up with ways to tinker with all sorts of gadgets like phones and clocks and proved to be much smarter than the teens at school believed. The android was amazed by the lightning ninja's hidden aspects and wondered if the others have it too… and even himself...

"So... what kind of look are you going for...?" Jay observed the robot staring at the display windows of the various fashion outlets in the city.

Being a surprisingly tech-savvy guy, the timid ninja managed to get along with Zane. He was often the first to give the android an opportunity to hang out with him. The humanoid proved to be nothing but absolutely friendly and Jay already felt more comfortable with him than many other people at school, which even extended to some of their teammates. Kai can be a little intimidating and Jay worried that the kunoichi would tease and mock him like most of the girls at Ninjago High.

"Master Wu informed us that we will make our uniforms to show what makes us who we are. We also must not forget that Garmadon and the Shark Army are continuing to make preparations for their next attempt on Ninjago City. It would be best to finalize on our designs as soon as we can."

"That… wasn't what I was asking..." Jay reminded the robot of his original question.

"I have yet to make a clear decision on what my uniform will look like. However, I may have discovered that I possibly possess a fixation with the color white." Zane answered.

"I kinda want to keep my scarf..." Jay said while subconsciously toying with the ends of the garment.

"Is there something special about it?"

"My parents gave it to me once we moved back to Ninjago City so it's really important to me. I know I probably sounds ridiculous but it's almost like it's a part of me. You're not gonna laugh, are you?"

"I will do no such thing. Such a sentiment should not be mocked. It must feel so amazing to value even the smallest and simplest of things. I would like to experience such a feeling."

"You could… if you want to..."

"I do value my friendship with all of you. However, friendship is not an object."

"It doesn't have to be an object," The lightning ninja told the robot, "It can be a relationship or a show you love. There are many different things that can be considered important to you."

"Perhaps you are correct..."

As odd as he found his teammate, the lightning ninja didn't have any negative opinions of him.

Jay was surprised when he was told Zane was a robot but other than that, he was awed by him. Zane had his own personality and quirks just like every other person in Ninjago City. He found the concept of robots living alongside humans fascinating but above all, he really wanted to meet the person who made that possible. Whoever built Zane must be a true genius among genuises.

"Is there anything else you would like to talk about?" Zane tried to spark a conversation or whatever that phrase is called.

"I don't want to sound rude or anything but I wonder how you're able to… you know… have all these emotions and stuff and being able to live among humans… I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's just that I thought that was only possible in those movies and stories..." Jay replied.

"I have wondered about my true origins but my father does not seem fond of talking about it. As much as I want to know why I was made, I also want to respect his wishes."

"Father…? You mean…"

"Yes. He was the one who built me but he has done so much more than that. He has taught me what he knew and has offered guidance since the day I was first activated. Not only that, he in turn sees me as his own child, even if I am not comprised of flesh and blood. I am forever grateful for everything he has done for me." Zane couldn't help but smile thinking of everything he had in his life.

Jay continued being astonished by Zane and how… _alive_ he was… Maybe even more than some of the humans he came across in Ninjago City.

The way the android expressed his feelings was so profound and his attempts to be seen as normal, as off-putting as they were, only showed how much he wanted to fit in, similar to how Jay wanted to be seen as an equal to his friends and impress them. The gratitude Zane showed also made the lightning ninja think about everything his parents have done for him. They could've stayed in Parsa but because he wanted to live in Ninjago City, they chose to move so he could be happy.

Yet it was still funny how a human can learn more about themselves because of a robot...

* * *

Heather and Aria found time to hang out in the city but their minds were completely engrossed with ideas for their individual uniforms, the latter even more so with her already being a shopaholic while the former was still able to find some inspiration from her love of flowers.

"I'm thinking about putting in a floral pattern in here somewhere..." Heather drew some rough designs of her uniform, all having a flower theme from an embroidery of wildflowers along the bottom of the gi to a pattern of roses along the side of the legs.

"I know that feeling," Aria said, "I have so many ideas it's not even funny."

The olive-skinned girl displayed so many rough sketches Heather thought her friend ran herself ragged just coming up with all those designs.

"Maybe we shouldn't try too hard. Since we're kunoichi, we can't use something that'll make us stand out so much." Heather pointed out.

"I can't decide what to go with." The kunoichi of wind sighed, "I'm _still_ bad at making decisions..."

"Perhaps we can find some inspiration elsewhere." The kunoichi of nature offered.

"Then there's only one thing left to do!" Aria took a stand, knowing there was one way out of this...

The kunoichi of wind went into another shopping spree at the mall, trying on various outfits and doing a variety of provocative poses like she was in a model in a fashion show, complete with some random background music coming from who knows where. Even Heather went along with the equally random fashion show… until she remembered what they were supposed to be doing.

"Aria!" The flower-loving girl scolded her friend.

"R-right!" Aria forgot about the sudden montage.

"Forget it," Heather groaned in exasperation, "We have bigger things to worry about than designing a bunch of uniforms. Garmadon and the Shark Army know of us now and we can't waste any more time. We need to set our priorities straight."

"Geez. Aren't you a stick in the mud."

Heather frowned, not enjoying being seen as a party pooper. She did like to loosen up just as much as her friends and enjoyed shopping as much as Aria does. She just wasn't as outspoken about it as she is with her affinity with flowers. However, she can easily get caught up with work and she wasn't always as flexible as her friend.

"Aria, I know you have your hobbies and I have mine. I think it'll be easier to approach this one step at a time." Heather consoled her.

"I understand..." The kunoichi of wind sighed, "You know, I'm still glad you're my friend. At least you're there to keep me from getting too carried away..."

"Hey, that's what friends do."

* * *

Lloyd was making more progress with his dragon mech. He now started working on the limbs and tail, which he considered hiding some missiles in. As for coming up with his uniform… the less it's spoken of, the better…

"Hey, Lloyd!" Iris joined him.

"What do you want?" He asked almost rudely.

"I drew some ideas for my uniform! Wanna see?" Iris handed her sketches to her teammate.

"Whatever." Lloyd took a quick peek and mentally cringed at Iris' designs. All of her ideas were just as girly as… well… everything else about her.

"There's no way you could be a kunoichi wearing _th_ _ese_." Lloyd pointed at her sketches. All the outfits Iris thought up of looked like something that can only be found at Darling, the Stars Shine Bright.

"It's what I like. Deal with it." Iris childishly stuck her tongue out.

"Iris… do you really want the Shark Army to find out about us? If you do, you're doing a great job." The green-eyed ninja deadpanned.

"Says the guy who's gonna build a giant mech! Surely that's not an attention grabber!" The kunoichi of metal argued.

"Those are two completely different things." Lloyd brushed her off.

"No they're not!" The girly girl balled up her fists and scrunched up her face in a childish manner.

Lloyd groaned, hoping he would only deal with stubbornness through Kai. As always, fate just loved to crush his hopes in front of him.

"Can't you come up with something a little more practical? You already get a lot of attention from all the frilly outfits you wear. These kinds of uniforms will be a dead giveaway and we're supposed to be the _Secret_ Ninja Force." Lloyd said before Iris could throw a hissy fit.

"If you think my ideas are stupid, then let me see yours!" The kunoichi of metal puffed up her cheeks as she usually did whenever she got riled up.

"I'm better at designing mechs than clothes to be honest." Lloyd brushed off her threat.

"You've only designed one mech." Iris remarked on her teammate's record with building mechanisms.

"I'm gonna keep working on my mech and I'll make more. At least I can back up my claims."

Some of the ninja saw the young teammates squabbling from a distance.

"Should we stop them?" Zane asked, being the only one to have any concern for them.

"Fighting amongst one another is inevitable," Wu answered, "You can't expect everyone to get along. But any interaction, both good and bad, will help you learn more about one another and find ways to work as the team you now are. Even a dire situation is an opportunity to improve yourselves."

"But didn't you say that there's little room for mistakes?" Nya protested.

"I never said that," Wu cut her off, "Resume your training."

The ninja and kunoichi went back to their daily routines, still confused by their mentor's cryptic words and biting remarks.

* * *

The ninja had lunch and had conversations at the school's rooftop as they always did.

"So… did any of you come up with your uniforms?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm working on it but don't really care as long as there's no sleeves." Cole shrugged.

"I'm not gonna even bother," Kai scoffed, "I'm not even good with this stuff."

"May I offer assistance?" Zane asked.

"Nah, I'm good."

"But you said you are _not_ good at designing uniforms."

"It's just a figure of speech, Zane."

As usual, Jay was slow to respond, fearing he'll be ridiculed by Kai and Cole for his choices.

Now it seemed all the ninja would talk about was being ninja as the lighting ninja observed.

Surely there are other important things in their lives other than their new titles are there?

"Um… I think there's other things for us to worry about than just being ninja..." Jay finally spoke up.

Lloyd couldn't help but feel like an idiot once Jay spoke. Being a ninja was just one part of who he was, not all of him but here he was, letting his new title consume him. He started to truly fear that he truly had nothing else to him other than being the son of Garmadon.

Is he already losing sight of himself?

Or worse… Is he even his own person at all…?

* * *

Luna arrived at the hideout early to feed the dog. With Lorelei's treats running out, she needed to find some other way to get food for the stray critter.

"No one's around yet so I think I can show some ideas I have." She took out some sketches to show to the dog. The kunoichi of sound was primarily inspired by some of the outfits her favorite idols wore at concerts or in music videos.

"I know you won't understand but it's kinda interesting to learn more about myself. It's also thanks to you I found something else I know a lot about besides music. I would like to take you home but I don't know what Mom and Dad or even Lorelei would think."

The dog blissfully gobbled up the treats and sniffed Luna's palm for some crumbs.

"Luna? I would've never thought you'd be early." Heather's voice resonated behind the timid girl.

The kunoichi of sound let out a startled squeak but her heartbeat quickly settled down. Even after she trained for weeks alongside them, she still wasn't fully accustomed to being around the other ninja.

"I wanted to check on the dog Lloyd found the other day," Luna shyly replied, "I'm also trying to figure out what I want my uniform to look like."

"I understand. Thinking up of your own ideas can be fun but it can also be a little frustrating."

"What do _you_ have in mind?"

"I don't think I've told you yet but I have this attachment to flowers. I don't know why that is. Perhaps it's because there's so many different kinds but all of them look so pretty. Or it may be because there's so little flowers growing naturally in the city. Whatever the reason may be, I feel deeply connected to flowers and just about everything Mother Nature has given us. That's kinda why I work at Blossoming Memories, so I can be surrounded by what I love… and know..."

"Is that all you think you're good at?"

"Shortly before I was told of the Secret Ninja Force, I did have some thoughts. I still like working at the flower shop but back then, I started to wonder if that was all my life will ever be. I felt that there might be much more I could do than just growing flowers. I would've never thought it would come to this..."

"What did you think would happen?"

"I thought about finding another job and even moving out of the city in the future. I don't know what fate has in store for me but I want answers more than anything."

"So you also became a kunoichi to find something more…?"

"I guess you could say that. It's funny that we have more in common than we realize yet we've never even spoken to one another at school."

Luna shrunk back a bit, her shyness impeding her as usual. Other than a certain someone, she was still insecure and scared to get close to the other ninja. They all had something they're good at that might help the team, from Jay's knowledge of mechanics to Lloyd's mech project. As for Luna herself, all she can do is sing and feed the dog, neither really contributing to the team. The future was looking bright for her, alright...

* * *

Kai may be a hothead sometimes but there are several occasions where he liked to sit back, relax, and watch the world go by. One of his favorite things to do in the city was to try all sorts of street food the large metropolis had to offer, from tornado potatoes to takoyaki and today was no exception.

The fire ninja stood before one of the most popular food carts in Ninjago City called 'Hada de Azúcar' and it earned its name for its iconic best-selling churros. However, what made this food cart stand out was that it didn't just sell plain ol' churros. They offered several flavors for the batter, from chocolate to lemon and they there was also a myriad of toppings for customers to choose from classic chocolate sauce to all kinds of sauces, sprinkles, and even candies.

"I'll have the classic cinnamon churros and chocolate sauce." Kai placed his order once it was his turn.

These churros definitely didn't skimp on the cinnamon. There was plenty of it to tickle his tongue with a sweet yet fiery spiciness and the chocolate was rich, smooth, and not overly sweet.

"Fancy seeing you here." A familiar high-pitched yet robust voice greeted him.

The fire ninja recognized Aria standing not too far from where he was, helping herself to some lemon churros with chocolate sauce.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here of all places," The olive-skinned girl said after finishing one of her churros, "These are the best churros in Ninjago City."

"I can see why these churros get rave reviews but I still think whoever made them could've thought up of a better name than 'Hada de Azúcar'." Kai admitted.

"Do you even know what that means?"

"Sugar fairy."

"You… know Spanish…?" The kunoichi of wind was surprised that the fire ninja understood one of the languages she knew all her life.

"Of course. I'm one quarter-Mexican." Kai answered.

"Interesting… My family has both Spanish and Italian roots so we probably don't speak the same type of Spanish. Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I was just wandering around, looking for some good food and maybe find some new games."

"Then let's go shopping! It could help us design our uniforms!"

"I'm not that interested in fashion. I just don't see what's so special about all those designer brands. If you ask me, they're all the same shallow crap." Kai dismissed her.

Aria's olive complexion somehow managed to turn as pale as Zane's artificial flesh. Because shopping was one of the few thing she knew for certain to be one of her biggest interests, the kunoichi of wind was insulted- no. That was an understatement. Kai's words were a verbal middle finger to the fashion industry and to every girl who loved to shop.

"How dare you..." Aria's fists shook and her voice was eerily calm... "How dare you make a mockery of the men and women who've shed blood, sweat, and tears to make a name for themselves in the world of fashion!? You disgust me!"

"I didn't say shopping was crap! I was saying that about clothes!" Kai retorted.

"Same thing! What you need is a trip to Eternal 18!" Aria immediately started dragging him.

"Dammit Aria! I didn't come here to be bored!" Kai protested.

"No! Not after what you said! You're coming with me mister!"

* * *

Kai found himself forced to accompany the kunoichi of wind on one of her lengthy shopping sprees. If he knew any better, they've been at the mall for at least four hours.

"I wanna go home!" Kai whined like a bratty child.

"Not until I show you that shopping isn't 'shallow crap'!" Aria rebuked him.

"You're even worse than Nya! Just pick one thing and get it over with!"

"It's never just one thing! You need to get the right accessories to go with the look! And you're gonna have to fix that hair! Are you trying to look like a dumb cartoon character- Wait! Where do you think you're going!? Kai, get back here! Kai!"

Aria yelled after the fire ninja, who stormed out of the mall. However, the kunoichi of wind was never far behind. Kai couldn't stand being near her any longer. Not only was she impulsive but she was also a complete airhead who doesn't take anything seriously. It's almost as if Master Wu _wants_ Garmadon to take over Ninjago. If he spent another minute with her, he'll scream.

"It's been one minute." Zane popped up out of nowhere.

And Ninjago City was blessed with the wonderful sound of a raging bellowing fire ninja.

* * *

 **As you can see, the zany humor the Lego movies are known for will appear in this story every now & then. But for now, the ninja need to start getting to know one another. Please review!**


	23. Grand Designs

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Wow! I can't believe January's almost over already! Now, the ninja & kunoichi continue getting to know each other as they start coming up with ideas of what their gi will be like. We're getting closer to some real action so hopefully the long wait will be worth it.**

* * *

Chapter 22: Grand Designs

Dr. Julien's apartment was blessed yet again with the heavenly smell of another culinary masterpiece made by Zane. Tonight, the android prepared some warm succulent cabbage rolls simmered in a light tomato sauce accompanied by some freshly baked cinnamon cookies for dessert.

"Delicious as always, Zane." The old man complimented his son.

The robot simply watched his father eat. He treasured these tranquil moments where he can be with the one person who was family.

"So Zane, is that group project with Cole and the others going well?" Dr. Julien asked.

It was something of a dinnertime ritual for the engineer and his robot son to chat during meals.

"You could say that..." Zane remained uneasy hiding the truth from his father but kept his oath.

"I hope you two are getting along."

"We are. There is no need to worry."

Zane ruminated over how close he and his father were during meals. They would have conversations about every little thing, from upcoming events at Ninjago High to the weather. He would feel closer to his father than he usually was and he felt a sense of peace and acceptance during these times. The old engineer accepted and loved him not just for his culinary skills but for who he was.

But what the android wanted more than anything was to find acceptance from everyone...

"Is there something on your mind, Zane?" Dr. Julien observed his son's wistful expression.

"I was thinking about cooking for others. Some of the teens at Ninjago High already have jobs. I would like to find an occupation that can allow me to cook for everyone. You have always smiled because of the meals I make for you everyday and now I want to do the same for others." Zane answered.

"You're always so eager to help others," Dr. Julien said, "But that's you being you."

"But is it because of my programming or… is it something I truly want…?"

"That is for you to decide. To live is to make your own decisions. Zane, you're just as alive as any other human being here in Ninjago. What will you decide to do with your life?"

"Father… I want to find a job."

"A job? What kind?"

"Something that will allow me to prepare meals that can bring people together and make them smile the same way I have done for you. I would like to cook not only for you but for everyone."

"If that's what you want, then I'll give you nothing but my full support. I know you'll find the right job. I have faith in you."

Zane always felt comforted by his father, who loved him for who he was, even if the robot himself had no idea who he truly was.

Now if only this new job of his will show everyone else who he was...

* * *

Jay arrived at the hideout for another training session and was early, which wasn't too surprising. The ninja and just about everyone who've seen him run often remark he was very fast. He still didn't think there was anything special to him. He still saw himself as a plain clumsy nerd and wouldn't contribute anything special to the Secret Ninja Force. He may be (slowly) getting better at handling a kusarigama but he didn't really stand out amongst the team other than being a klutz, which will only cause more trouble for the team.

"Hey!" Aria greeted him.

Jay babbled in what Aria could've sworn was vocalized keyboard mash.

"Jay! Calm down! It's me!" The kunoichi of wind tried to console him.

"Don't do that!" The lightning ninja yelled at her once he got his heartbeat to slow down a bit.

"Why are you carrying that thing around?" The lightning ninja noticed the olive-skinned girl carrying a remote control.

"My parents made me take it with me! It hasn't been working properly for weeks and they want me to find someone who's good with this sort of stuff! Couldn't they just call a specialist or something?" The impulsive girl rambled.

"Did you think about looking into it yourself? Some problems with machines can be fixed at home."

"I've been trying to get this damn thing to work the whole time!"

Aria's raised voice startled Jay but he knew what she was going through all too well. Even if his family were genius inventors, malfunctioning gadgets were a surprisingly common problem they faced. They can't get every one of their inventions perfect on the first try and all the knowledge they had involving machinery were gained through much trial and error, including Jay himself.

"Um… Do you think you can help me with this?" Aria asked again after calming down.

"Sure..." Jay offered to help his teammate out of her technological mishap.

The kunoichi of wind handed the device over to the lightning ninja, who examined it. He knew all too well that the problem lies within and took it into the warehouse. He grabbed several tools and began to dismantle the device and examined every single chip and wire.

"This is easy. A couple of wires have loosened, some of the buttons are worn down, and there's quite a bit of dust in there. It's an easy fix. I can do it for you." The lightning ninja told her as he reached out for even more tools and went straight to work.

Aria was surprised by the normally timid boy's penchant for machinery and how much more confident he was doing so, almost like he was a completely different person. There seemed to be absolutely no traces of the stuttering mousy teen who would hide within his scarf at the slightest sign of trouble in the inventive ninja before her. Jay pretty much transformed into a brilliant technician. He worked with such precise skill at an unbelievably quick pace, each movement very meticulous and never wasted. It was only a matter of minutes until the lightning ninja fixed the device.

"All done!" Jay gave back the remote control, "It should be working again but only as long as you don't let too much dust get in there."

Aria remained stunned by the unassuming ninja's handiwork. No one would ever think that such a shy person like him could have such skill with machinery and she had never seen him so composed when he worked on the remote control.

"It seems you have a gift..." She said once she found her voice.

"Nah… I'm not good at anything..." Jay blushed and pulled his scarf up to hide his face.

"And you're still saying that after what you just did? Jay, you've done something I could never do! Not only that but you're always on the school honor rolls and get one of the highest test scores! How can you still believe you have no talent when you're really one of the smartest people I've ever met!? Jay, you're a genius!"

"I guess it's because I spent most of my childhood in Parsa. Really, the Garden City has a lot more than just… you know… gardens and flowers."

"I know. I've heard the city is very technologically advanced." The kunoichi of wind, being a curious girl herself, was captivated by the cities that lie beyond her home.

"It's gonna be a while before the others get here. Is there anything you wanna talk about?"

"What was it like?" Aria suddenly asked.

"What are you talking about?" Jay responded with his own question.

"Parsa."

Jay's mind was flooded with memories of his idyllic childhood in the faraway city. Even now, it felt like yesterday when he was just a young boy playing in the family's garden and staring with wonder at the latest gadgets and machines sold alongside traditional honey almond pastries at the bazaars.

"It's very different from Ninjago City, not that that's a bad thing. Without Garmadon, Parsa was more peaceful and everyone were very friendly and happy. Of course there are lots of beautiful gardens in the city but those aren't the only things that gives Parsa its reputation as a gorgeous city. I still go back to Parsa every summer and it never changed too much. Many of the old buildings from the day Parsa was founded still stand like the towers and domes. Most of the older buildings are decorated with very intricate details carved into them, from inscriptions to scenery depicting Parsa's history. But Parsa also has many skyscrapers and roads winding throughout the city but they coexist side by side, almost like both old and new joining together. And with all the lights in the city, it would look like it glows during the night. I don't think any words will ever do the city justice."

Aria was captivated by how Jay described his former hometown. She saw his striking blue eyes gain a misty hue as if his very soul returned to the past.

"And what about the people? Do they act the same as the people here?" Aria asked again.

"I'm sorry if I sound like a snob but sometimes, I think the people in Parsa are nicer than people here. When I moved back here, I was picked on because of my accent and I guess I still do. They also don't seem to have as much patience and are much more judgemental. I'm not the best at making decisions and whenever I have trouble deciding something or don't know how to respond, they always give me this really annoyed look. In Parsa, they would always smile and tell me to take my time. Also, everyone in Ninjago High always make fun of me, saying I'm a nerd for wanting to do well in school or because of my looks. They say my freckles make me look too young. I won't deny I met some people like that in Parsa and there's some nice people here but it seems like the good people outnumber the bad back in Parsa while it's the opposite in Ninjago City."

"I have to agree. I'm also not that great with making decisions and I know how it feels to be judged or ridiculed because of that. Some people here are assholes. Then again, there's assholes everywhere." Aria shrugged.

"I've noticed that you would join one of the clubs at school only to quit after a few weeks... Why?"

"I do enjoy trying new things but I can't count how many times I actually get to do something only to feel unsatisfied, as if it's not what I was meant to do. It's been going on for years and it has me wonder why I was brought to this world. It's true we'll all die one day but there's something about the concept of being brought here just so we can die that irks me. I hate the idea of having my fate decided for me the day I was born. I want to make my own choices and that's my biggest problem. I don't know what I really want and many of the decisions I've made left me feeling more empty than anything and I also end up with more questions than answers..."

"Is that why you joined the Secret Ninja Force?"

"What are you two doing!?" Lloyd's voice called over to them. The talkative pair had no idea when he and the others arrived but now, the green-eyed ninja was staring at them with annoyance.

"You're supposed to be training with us!" He reminded them of their agenda.

Jay and Aria felt their faces turn beet red, embarrassed by letting themselves get carried away amidst their conversation. They never even realized the ninja arrived while they were chatting away and were already in the middle of their training session.

"We can talk some other time, okay?" Aria told Jay before heading in to train.

"Uh… sure..." Jay turned back into the timid wallflower he was more well-known as and followed her.

" _Jay, you're a genius!"_

The kunoichi of wind's compliment still echoed in the shy ninja's head, which was also wrapped up in her words.

'I'm not really that smart… am I…?'

Even with his extensive knowledge of inventions and technology, Jay never considered himself a bright individual. He wanted to get good grades in school simply so he won't be seen as an idiot. Despite his parents loving him and telling him only he can be the best at who he is, he sometimes felt they're just seeing him through parents' eyes. At school, almost everyone didn't think highly of him since he didn't adhere to what they considered popular: being strong, dumb, and rude.

But if that was true, then why did Aria say those things at all?

Jay still didn't know much about her, only hearing tidbits of her capricious nature through Nya. In fact, he still had yet to know a whole lot about the other kunoichi or even Master Wu. He feared that could make him sexist and incur his female teammates' wrath.

As they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...

* * *

Sometimes, Heather liked to take her time in the city before arriving at Blossoming Memories. There were plenty of interesting things to see and do in Ninjago City.

The loud growls coming from her stomach halted the kunoichi of nature's train of thought.

Heather skipped lunch at school but there were plenty of places to quell her appetite but there were so many choices to choose from. Luckily there was a cafe that was still fairly new a couple of minutes away from Blossoming Memories called The Petite Corner. She'll have plenty of time to treat herself to a snack before going to work, which led to her decision to give this place a try...

"Welcome. How can I help you?" The voice of the employee who greeted her carried an echo that was impossible for humans to create.

And it was so familiar.

"Zane…!" Heather gasped at the sight of Zane wearing the cafe's slick uniform standing before her.

"W-what on earth are you d-doing here!? A-and why are you wearing a u-uniform!?" The kunoichi of nature was utterly confused.

"My father oft praised my abilities in the culinary field and the dishes I have made always made him so happy. I want to do the same for others, which is why I applied for a job here but I was informed that I will have to perform duties such as these before I can try cooking here."

"Don't you think this will get in the way of… you know..."

"The owner agreed to the time arrangement I have proposed so I will still have time to train. However, coming to an agreement was not so simple..." Zane's mind drifted to the day he got the job…

* * *

"Okay... Zane Julien…" The cafe owner stared at the robot suspiciously, "If you want me to let you have time for this… other stuff… then let me ask you the most difficult question of all time and tell me the correct answer within one minute on the very first try. Oh, and don't think about using any calculator, database, or any of that complex techno stuff you might have in there..."

"I shall abide by your conditions." The android agreed to the owner's arrangement.

The owner took a deep breath before asking this supposedly difficult question...

"Tell me… what's one billion… plus one _hundred_ billion?"

"One hundred and one billion." Zane answered before one full second can pass.

The owner kept staring at the humanoid with a dispassionate face for a few moments...

"Okay. You're in."

* * *

Back to the present, Zane still had a job to do.

"I assume you are here because you are hungry. What would you like to order?" Zane asked Heather.

"I guess I'll try the scones with rose jam..." The kunoichi of nature looked through the menu and chose something simple.

"Very well." The robot left to fetch her order.

Heather still didn't know how to feel now that she and Zane will be working close together not only in training but also with their part-time jobs. He was a surprisingly sweet person and there didn't seem to be anything special going on between them…

Yet for some reason, it was almost like some strange mysterious force kept bringing them together. It was almost as if destiny has some bigger plan for them. The kunoichi of nature didn't know if that's a good thing or not. As odd as Zane is, she didn't mind him and she can't deny she felt drawn to him.

But what she wanted to know more than anything is… why…?

"Thank you for the wait. Here is your order." The android returned with the scones Heather ordered.

The kunoichi of nature was pleased that this new cafe's food wasn't disappointing.

With very few people at the cafe right now, Zane stayed by Heather's side, wanting to have a conversation with her.

"Why do you want to cook? The food here seems nice so far." Heather asked.

"The only family I have is my father. He is very old so I take care of him in any way I can, especially with cooking. Every dish I made for him makes him smile and brings us closer together. That is my favorite part of cooking. It amazes me how even something as simple as food can deeply effect humans. I want to also make other people happy the way I do for my father. If I am able to make humans smile, then perhaps there is a chance they will see me as a real person, just like them. I want to truly live amongst humans and to be the seen as an equal."

"But you're here, aren't you? You go to school, you train with us, and now, you even got a job. Why do you keep paying so much attention to your differences?"

"Every human is different yet in a perplexing way, that makes them all similar. I am also different in the same way they are but the only difference they ever acknowledge is that I am a robot. That is not the kind of 'different' I want to make me unique. I want to also know what makes me unique as a person."

"I honestly don't know how to answer… Even I seek answers if there is something bigger out there for me… Yet the fact that I don't know, as frustrating as it is, makes me want to find out more than ever… I don't know how that even works..."

"I want to assume our lives as ninja will provide the answers we seek. Not even my internal database carries the information I have sought after for so long. But the answers may not be what we like..."

Heather wasn't sure what Zane truly meant but this feeling like she was drawn to him never faded...

* * *

The ninja spent their break discussing their individually designed gi. They were making some progress coming up with their designs, some more than others…

"Is that really all you could come up with?" Nya snickered at Kai's sketches that looked like they were drawn by a three-year-old.

The fire ninja scowled, not wanting to go through another shopping nightmare courtesy of Aria.

"I've already come up with mine." Cole showed a sketch of his ideal gi, which unsurprisingly lacked any sleeves. The neckline was low so the gi would also expose part of Cole's muscular chest.

"That design… leaves little to the imagination..." Iris raised an eyebrow at the earth ninja's ideas.

"And here is mine." Zane also showed his sketches of his ideal uniform, which was almost completely white save for the black details on the neckline that was straight, unlike a traditional gi.

Aria and Heather decided to incorporate orange and teal respectively in their outfits. The kunoichi of wind also thought about going sleeveless like Cole while the kunoichi of nature finally found a way to incorporate her affinity for flowers into her outfit with the belt of her gi adorned with a pattern of rose vines. Nya's uniform was mostly in silver which featured some light blue trimming at the neckline and a skirt made of armor like those some of the samurai of the Warring Era once wore. Luna decided to go with purple as her trademark color while Iris' gi will have pink details. The kunoichi of metal found herself forced to cast her girly tastes aside and design something that wouldn't make her stand out so much. She still wasn't too thrilled about it and showed her reluctance by constantly pouting.

All Lloyd could think of for his uniform was a gi with mesh incorporated into it with green details while Kai still couldn't think of anything unique other than his gi being red.

"Maybe you should focus on how you're going to fight. With two katana, it's best not to have so much details on your gi." Jay suggested.

Kai scowled, not wanting to admit the jittery ninja was right. He couldn't put too much into this gi or it'll only be a hindrance.

"You need help there?" Cole was quick to offer help or advice as always.

"I still can't figure out what to go for. This is pointless." The stubborn fire ninja still complained.

The earth ninja found the hothead's reactions amusing and it also drove him to step in and help him.

"Look, Kai. You don't have to go all out with this stuff. Sometimes, you just have to sit back and think things through or even go for something a little more modest." Cole said.

"Easy for you to say." Kai retorted, knowing what Cole's gi will look like.

Ignoring Kai's protests, Cole tried to help him. If there was one thing the fiery ninja truly hated, it was having to seek help. Protecting Lloyd and Nya was something deeply ingrained into him and having it switched around was completely alien to him. Kai was a bit closed-minded in some areas and this was one of them.

"If you're gonna fight with two katana, you'll have to find a way to carry the scabbards." Cole said.

"Stop treating me like a kid!" The fire ninja protested.

"Kai, you can't do everything by yourself," Lloyd reminded him with exasperation, "We're gonna have to work together so get used to it."

The ninja and kunoichi talked amongst themselves, helping each other come up with the final designs for their gi.

"Master Wu, I think we got our ideas for our uniforms." Cole said once they finally made their choices.

"Indeed you have..." The elderly mentor examined his apprentices' sketches.

Now, the ninja are one step closer to discovering their destiny…

...and who they really are…

* * *

 **Yeah… We won't be seeing the ninja & kunoichi's actual gi until the next chapter or two. I don't want to rush anything & I do have a lot of ideas for the ninja's misadventures & I also have some ideas for a Valentine special with Jaya set in the show universe. But for now, review.**


	24. What a Prick

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Happy update day! Today, the ninja will face one of the most brutal challenges yet as they continue getting to know one another. Also, to celebrate the Incredibles 2 coming out this summer, there's a reference as well as one to South Park. Kudos if you can find both! Read on!**

* * *

Chapter 23: What a Prick

The ninja were back at the hideout where something was slightly amiss. Master Wu usually waited for them before training can begin and his absence gave them a feeling that things won't be the same.

"Greetings, students." Wu's voice coming from behind his pupils startled them.

"What now, Uncle?" Lloyd was the only one who was completely used to his relative's strange quirks, having known him his whole life.

"With the designs of your gi finalized, it's time to make your ideas a reality." He answered in his usually cryptic ways.

"We're really gonna make our gi now?" Luna was apprehensive… yet excited...

"I'll provide you with the needed materials as I had promised."

The old man fetched many sheets of fabric in a variety of colors along with threads in the colors of the rainbow and beyond, sewing needles, and countless other tools used in sewing.

"Where did you get all those!?" Iris gawked at all the equipment.

"I have my ways..." Wu's vision turned hazy when the whole scene went into flashback mode...

"Give me a bunch of fabric and sewing tools." Wu ordered the tailors in Ninjago City.

"Okay." They immediately obeyed.

"And now you know. It's already a foolish move to have two weird flashbacks back to back. You've got no time to lose before Garmadon will dispatch the Shark Army yet again… or they'll wait until the next convenient moment. Either way, get started making your gi." Wu ordered.

"Sure we have the things we need but none of us have any knowledge on making clothes." Jay pointed out the ninja's naivete with this kind of work.

"Can't we find some tailors to make our gi?" Kai complained.

"That would not be recommended if we are to keep our occupations as ninja a secret," Zane said, "If the tailors make our gi and then we get all kinds of attention from the media, they will recognize their handiwork and will most likely give away our identities."

"Even something as simple as clothing can possess much value, especially when crafted by your own hands. You have much to learn beyond the art of combat."

"But couldn't you have at least gotten us some sewing machines? That could make things a lot faster." Heather pointed out.

"If you can survive a bunch of slow-paced chapters, then you can get through this." Wu said dryly.

"Okay, we get it. You get off by breaking the fourth wall. Now how are we supposed to finish these gi in time if we have no idea how to even make a T-shirt?" Lloyd asked.

"You'll only know once you experience it yourselves. But I will provide you with some information." His uncle handed a book titled 'Sewing for Blockheads' to the ninja.

"That's it?" Aria skimmed through the pages. The instructions looked simple enough but if she learned anything from all those clubs and jobs she ditched, things were never as they seemed.

"Looks like we have no other choice..." Luna shrugged.

"We're just gonna make a bunch of clothes. How hard can it be?" Kai asked, trying to be optimistic.

Too bad he doesn't know saying that is a jinx...

* * *

The ninja and kunoichi began to spend their free time making their gi instead of chatting or whatever else they usually did during their breaks. They initially thought making clothing would be simple, albeit tedious, compared to the intensive training they went through for countless days.

But that was far from the awful truth.

The hideout was filled with the ninja's painful yelps and whimpers.

Aria hissed after pricking her finger for the fourth time. She initially looked forward to making clothes she designed herself but she was being turned off by how difficult it really was. She knew she wasn't alone thanks to her teammates' pained expressions throughout this whole ordeal.

"I don't know about you guys but being cooped up here and making clothes feels a bit disturbing." Jay shuddered while struggling to cut some blue fabric in a uniform shape.

"I know. It feels like we're working in a sweatshop." Heather grimaced.

"I swear, Master Wu's mind must be really mess up." Nya grumbled.

"Complaining won't make this any easier or more comfortable," Cole said while keeping himself from yelping when he cut his hand yet again, "But the sooner we get all this stuff done, the better."

Lloyd took the earth ninja's advice to heart, pretty much doing it as long as he could remember, even if it's over a completely different issue. Should he complain or slip up on his act, he'll end up giving the bullies what they want and he did not want to give that to them. If there was anything he learned, it's to never give those people any satisfaction, no matter how much the pain suffocates him...

* * *

Lloyd returned to his apartment where his mother awaited him.

"Lloyd! You had me worried sick!" Koko greeted her son with a hug full of motherly love.

Lloyd's bit his lip when his still tender hands got squeezed within his mother's grasp. Even the slightest touch was excruciating and the sting of the cuts made him wince.

"Mom, I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself." Lloyd pulled the ends of his sleeves to keep his wounds hidden but it did little except arouse his mother's suspicions.

"Wait… What's wrong with your hand…?" Koko tried to grab them but her son stepped back.

"I-it's nothing..." Lloyd still tried to hide his hands but his mother wasn't having any of it.

"Let me see." Koko grabbed Lloyd's wrists and gasped at the sight of her son's marred hands. She had never seen so many cuts and pricks on one person in her whole life and she had seen a lot. Some were still bleeding and others looked like they were caused days ago.

"Lloyd, what happened to you?" She asked while grabbing some bandages and ointment.

"I was playing some sports with Kai and Nya." Lloyd lied.

"But your fingers… There's no sports that cause these kinds of wounds..." Koko inspected his wounds with keen eyes. She had seen many kinds of injuries in her lifetime and these wounds looked like they were caused by something tiny yet sharp...

"Mom! I'm alright, aren't I? Isn't that all that matters?" The green-eyed youth yanked his hands away from his mother once she was done treating them.

"Lloyd, I..." She tried to comfort him but found herself unable to finish her sentence.

Koko felt something in her heart she had never felt ever since she left Garmadon. It made her feel that she couldn't completely trust her own son.

'What am I thinking?' The former warrior was shocked by her own thoughts. Lloyd was free to live his own life, which was why Koko gave up everything she knew in the first place. Regardless of the choices he'll make, she wanted to do nothing but give him her staunchest support as his mother, even if it'll be something she won't wholeheartedly agree with.

"It's nothing to worry about, Mom," Lloyd brushed off her concern, "I'll be fine."

The teenage outcast retreated back into his room before his mother could question him.

Crashing down onto his bed, Lloyd stared at his hands. His wounds were treated but the pain was still there, a metaphor of all the misery he's been through his whole life. He had friends who stayed by his side, even if he may end up dragging them down with him to the bottom of the social ladder. But they can never take away from the terrible things in his life. He was still hated by everyone else in Ninjago and even as he carries on with his life, the pain will always stay with him, no matter how he bottles it up, similar to the bandages on his still aching hands.

'Just a little longer and I'll be done making that stupid thing...' Lloyd told himself, 'Then that means I'll have to face Garmadon… Then maybe I'll finally get some answers...'

* * *

Dr. Julien could've programmed Zane to be able to do just about everything but he didn't. There were some skills he didn't install in his robot son, especially those where calculations and analyses may be required. As a robot, Zane was programmed to be logical but not all-knowing. The esteemed inventor could've made the perfect robot but he didn't. Instead, he wanted Zane to learn and gain knowledge through experiences and lessons. Robot or human, Zane was a person just like everyone else.

Zane's fingers were not as deft in sewing as they were when handling a bow yet he was happier with it that way. He was actually learning something like humans do but it still came with a price. The android winced when the needle broke the artificial skin on his finger again. With pain receptors permanently on as long as he was active, he discovered the downside of existing like every other living being.

"How are you faring, Nya?" Zane asked after she cursed under her breath after cutting her thumb for the umpteenth time.

"I'm super. Thanks for asking." Nya herself grumbled as she tried sewing one side of her gi together.

"How about a little rest before resuming work?" The robot ninja suggested.

"No!" The kunoichi of water refused in a suddenly loud voice.

"I apologize but did I offend you?"

"No. I just don't want to depend on others for everything. It makes me feel like a failure."

Zane observed how similar Nya really was with Kai despite their unique personalities. The Hinata sister wasn't as temperamental but she clearly has her limits. They may seem like opposites but Kai and Nya did have more than a few similarities, such as a lack of patience, strong will, and a strong passion for what they enjoyed, all proof that they were family.

'It must be amazing to have a sibling...'

Nya growled when she fumbled yet again on her sewing.

"Calm down, Nya. These sort of tasks require patience." Zane tried to placate her.

"I _am_ patient!" The strong-willed girl contradicted herself as she became more and more frustrated.

Making clothes shouldn't be more difficult than working on her motorcycle but the kunoichi of water found herself struggling more than she'll ever admit. Working with mechanics was very different from working with textiles. Nya didn't have as much patience now as she does when doing something she enjoys such as tinkering and sprucing up her future vehicle.

"Why not take a moment to recollect yourself," The ice ninja still suggested, "This task may be easier if your mind is clear."

"Easy for you to say." The kunoichi of water retorted.

"I am also facing a lot of discomfort from our task. We all are. There is no perfect person."

"It's not that. I have to give only my best in everything I do, otherwise..."

"Otherwise…?"

Nya became silent, feeling sick to her stomach just thinking of what will happen if she slips up, even in the slightest bit.

"Is something wrong?" Zane asked yet again.

"It's nothing… I'll be fine..." Nya shook off these inhibiting thoughts and resumed her work, "Besides, it's not gonna do you any good doing nothing but ponder over everything..."

"Ponder…?"

"Never mind, Zane. Let's just get this over with. I don't want to see another needle again after this."

Zane remained curious of what Nya meant by him not doing good if he ponders. It was in his nature to find the most logical actions and solutions in every day life. Then again, there were plenty of people he met that didn't like the way he processed his thoughts.

Outside of whether or not he's a robot… was there really something wrong with him…?

Is there some kind of imperfection with the way he is outside his programming?

Or was there some flaw in the way he was designed?

The android somehow felt conflicted over this. Being imperfect was what made humans the way they were and what he wanted more than anything was to be seen and treated the same as them, even if that meant being imperfect. Yet he found his thoughts of the idea of being imperfect a little sobering.

'Could this be another 'flaw'…?'

Zane started to wonder if asking himself these questions were what Nya meant by him pondering too much. Then again, he was a logical being, not all-knowing...

* * *

"What do you mean they're out of deep blue fabric!?" Garmadon exploded in his volcano base. If he's gonna take over Ninjago City, he might as well look badass doing so. Why else was he wearing a cool robe _and_ cape?

...That and he wanted to prove that weird old lady who hates capes wrong.

"Now tell me why the sorry lot of you couldn't find the stuff I need to look every bit like the warlord I am!" Garmadon demanded.

"We looked everywhere but every tailor in Ninjago city said 'Some creepy old man bought them all'." The current General #1 tried to justify his crew's failure to his boss.

'Wu...' The dark lord began to grind his sharp teeth. He should've known that pesky coot will give him a hard time seizing Ninjago City.

"Um… My lord…? W-what are we gonna do? We've searched through every fashion outlet and talked to every tailor in Ninjago City!" Another lackey asked.

"I don't know. You tell me." The dark lord belittled his goon.

"W-w-we could t-try making it o-ourselves..." Another Shark Army member suggested.

Gasps filled the dark lord's office. That goon really shouldn't have said that.

Garmadon's expression changed from one of annoyance to, instead of relief, pure unbridled rage.

"And you thought of that just now!? _After_ you crawled back here in shame!?" Garmadon's blood red eyes literally burned with fury.

"No one can control when they get ideas! We can get started right away if that helps!" The bumbling servants scrambled to start working.

"You won't have to do any more work…"

"But I won't get fired, right?" General #1 interrupted.

"…for me," Garmadon finished with a cross face, "Seriously, I don't want to be interrupted every time I do this."

The beachcombers of Ninjago City oohed and aahed at Garmadon's volcano base blasting off another failed General #1 and his underlings.

* * *

After several grueling days, the ninja's gi were finally coming into shape.

The most difficult part of sewing wasn't the actual sewing for Kai. The hothead tried getting the thread through to loop of the needle but his hands couldn't stop shaking from his impatience. He growled in vexation when the string missed yet again. He always ended up getting someone else to do it for him, which irked him more than anything.

He _hated_ being seen as helpless.

Even if he was doing something he had almost no knowledge of, he didn't like to be helped, nor did it stop him from wanting to help others.

"How are you doing, Iris?" Kai checked on the kunoichi of metal.

Iris yelped and got the flesh of her finger caught in a pin. The horrific pain caused the girly girl to curse in a string of Russian that sounded much scarier than it should be. If the fire ninja knew any better, she was uttering some kind of unholy curse on everyone and everything in Ninjago.

"Uh… you're doing fine, right…?" He asked nervously once Iris stopped screaming.

"Shut up." The kunoichi of metal hissed and got the pin out, wincing as blood started seeping out.

"Let me fix that for you." The fire ninja was now grateful the ninja's hideout now had a first aid kit. He quickly mended Iris' wound

"There. Sorry about earlier."

"Thanks..." Even if he apologized, the kunoichi of metal was still mad at Kai for distracting her.

"I said I was sorry." The hothead said with annoyance.

"Fine. But you better not do that again." Iris said before resuming her sewing. She was no longer facing the fire ninja but she can feel his fiery amber eyes watching her like animals do to their offspring.

"Kai, there's something called personal space..." The girly girl was a little thrown off by his demeanor.

"Sorry, but it's kinda like something I have to do. I want to make sure everyone's doing fine."

"We can take care of ourselves."

"That's not gonna stop me. You've seen how I get when those jerks at school try to do anything to Nya or Lloyd. If anyone tries anything like that to you, I'll turn them into yakitori."

Iris wasn't sure how to respond to the fire ninja's overprotective ways. He wasn't really a bad guy but he also needed some work with his attitude. The kunoichi of metal was fine the way she is and despite her girly fashion sense, she can deal with those people who do nothing but judge.

Kai was slightly amused by the way Iris went on her business. With the way she dressed, he would've never guessed she had a bit of a backbone. He still didn't know a whole lot about her or anyone else here he didn't hang out with often at school. That still didn't stop the fire ninja from protecting them as he does for his friends.

Nothing could ever put out the fire burning within him, not even a mighty steel blade.

* * *

The ninja were finally done with the basics of their gi and it took countless wounds and several liters of blood to do it but they did it. It was a miracle none of the gi had any blood stains on them.

"We finally did it!" Nya collapsed onto one of the cushions, relieved that the ninja's grueling task has finally come to an end.

"There is still more work that needs to be done with your uniforms. Now isn't the time to celebrate." Of course Master Wu was there to burst his students' bubble.

Seriously, this guy might be a closet sadist.

"There's _more_!?" Heather asked incredulously.

"Can't we take a break?" Jay whined.

"You're not done yet. There's still the details you'll be adding to your uniforms." Wu returned the ninja and kunoichi's original sketches which he added some tiny details to.

Each of the ninja's elements were now written in classic Ninjago characters on the edge of their gi.

"Huh. Guess 'Spark' is easier to fit into a gi than 'Lightning'..." Jay noted that his was an exception.

Meanwhile, Lloyd was far from impressed by the word embroidered on his gi. All he got was 'Ninja'. It felt more than a little anticlimactic. After years of being ostracized because of his father, Lloyd wasn't fond of standing out but this was a little too bland for his taste. Wu could've at least chosen something a little more unique than something he and everyone else in this team were, even if he doesn't have an element… yet...

Before the green-eyed ninja could say anything, his uncle beat him to it.

"I know what you're going to ask of me, my nephew. You can't expect every question to be answered immediately and it's not because whether or not the answer is there. You have yet to truly understand the answer the way you are as of now."

Lloyd was just as disappointed in his uncle as ever. Still, he made his choice and knew why he did.

"So you're making us go through all that torture _again_?" Kai couldn't believe what was happening.

"Life isn't easy but you must endure. That is but one small aspect of what makes a ninja, ninja."

Said ninja were tempted to ask more questions but knowing their teacher, it'll do them no good to ask them. It wasn't like he could tell them about every waking moment of what's going on in Ninjago City and he would only respond with even more metaphorical nonsense.

'Just a little more...' They told themselves, hoping to finish soon...

* * *

Cole caught sight of something very unsettling on his way home after another day at the hideout.

"We're not gonna get our assignment done on time if you keep dawdling around!" A small group was huddled up in one of the darker corners of Ninjago City.

The laid-back ninja found himself caught up by the way that voice whispered as if its owner was going to do something they knew may be underhanded. Cole tiptoed as quietly as he could and now there was no mistaking who this group of people were. Their sea life-themed apparel said it all.

"Uh, sir? What were we supposed to do again?" One of Garmadon's dimwitted servants asked.

The earth ninja hid behind the corner of the alley, listening to their plans.

"Didn't you listen to a word I said!? We gotta look for anyone suspicious. Anyone in this city might be one of those ninja working for that weird old man!" The leading Shark Army member ordered.

"But don't ninja usually wear black? Like that guy with Wu back then?"

Cole was tempted to stop Garmadon's goons himself but he remembered that Kai did the same thing only to have their mentor's plans found out. He was also not only outnumbered but he had absolutely no experience in real combat. In fact, the entire Secret Ninja Force don't have what it takes to defeat the Shark Army the way they were now.

"Remember, don't grab too much attention but keep your eyes peeled for suspicious."

The Shark Army were leaving but that also meant they were heading in his direction.

Cole had to get out of here fast. But if he runs, he'll make a lot of noise that'll undoubtedly grab their attention. He looked for something that might prevent the Shark Army from discovering him. All there was were a few trash cans but again, trying to hide into one will also be cacophonous and attract the Shark Army's attention. Luckily, there was some space behind the trash cans and the earth ninja barely managed to squeeze in the tight space before the Shark Army were in sight.

Footsteps grew louder as did the earth ninja's own heartbeat. They were soon right next to the pile of trash cans and what Cole wanted more than anything right now was for them to leave.

"Wait! Something doesn't feel right..." One of the lackeys stopped.

"Do you think it might be a ninja?" Another asked.

"You idiot! There's no one here but us!" A third joined in.

"Now that you've said it, it does feel like we're not alone..." The leader's voice uttered.

The Shark Army stared at the pile of trash cans by the alley. It's possible there was something hidden in there and started to approach them.

Cole was too anxious to even breathe the moment he heard the Shark Army's footsteps heading in his direction. There was nothing he could use to fend off the Shark Army. He probably had a lot of physical strength but that won't be enough.

The footsteps grew louder and the tiny window of hope was rapidly closing.

Only a miracle could help Cole now…

* * *

 **And yet again, we end on a cliffhanger.**

 **How will Cole get out of this one?**

 **Will the Shark Army finally get something right?**

 **What will the ninja's gi look like?**

 **Tune in next time when the next chapter of Discovering Destiny is released!**


	25. Ninjago Style

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Last time, I left you all on a cliffhanger so this chapter will show what happens next. Also, this is a pretty important chapter because the ninja will finally get their uniforms from the movie and then some. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 24: Ninjago Style

It was late but Lou's bantering still echoed across the Charbonneau mansion.

"And think of what could've happen if they managed to break your bones!?" Lou ranted.

Sitting across his bourgeois father was Cole himself, all bruised and battered. Cole ignored his father's verbal tirade while his thoughts drifted back to how he got to where he is now...

* * *

 _Cole felt his stomach drop when he felt what little light was in the alley reach him._

" _Well what do we have here?" The Shark Army sneered above him, "Looks like we've got a spy!"_

 _The gang roughly grabbed him by his ACDC shirt and tossed him onto the ground. Cole quickly got up just to be pushed back onto the cold pavement amidst the garbage._

" _What if he's working for that creepy old man?"_

" _Perhaps you're on to something..."_

 _Cole was picked up again, forcing him to stare at the Shark Army leader right in the face._

" _Tell us about Wu and those ninja of his!" The man in his stingray-themed helmet demanded._

 _The earth ninja found himself unable to say anything without risking giving away that he was part of Secret Ninja Force. But his silence only aroused further suspicion from the Shark Army._

" _Keeping secrets from us, eh? Looks like we'll be doing this the hard way!" The leader threw Cole back onto the hard ground._

 _The earth ninja felt a slight ache in his back muscles from the harsh landing, impeding his attempt to get back up, giving the gang another chance to push him down again. He still tried to get back up and this time, he was able to get back on his feet before the Shark Army can retaliate._

" _Hey! We're not done with you!" The gang tackled Cole but he used his immense manpower to shove and throw them off._

 _Cole had a lot of physical strength but had little knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, his training used to fight with a warhammer, which he didn't have right now. He could only do some basic punches and kicks, which did him no good against the Shark Army's weapons._

 _The Shark Army swung their maces and flails at their target, bruising him from head to toe. Some even carried daggers which Cole was wise enough to avoid as much as he can. Unfortunately, they manage to reach a little too close and the earth ninja felt his skin being cut open and his own blood coming in contact with the cool evening air. His cuts were stinging and his bruises were aching until a Shark Army member's fist met his eye, sending him careening onto the ground yet again. The dazed teen struggled to get up, his eyelid already discolored and swollen shut. The skin between his nose and upper lip felt wet and he can tell that liquid was his own blood._

 _Cole found himself facing the terrible truth._

 _He was in no shape to fight the Shark Army and this may only be a small taste of what's to come._

 _He didn't want to think about it often but he doubted the Secret Ninja Force will be able to stop them and Garmadon. If these guys were able to beat him to a bloody pulp…_

 _Cole didn't want to think of what they could do to the other ninja. His drive to protect others extended to his comrades. He was already willing to put his own life on the line to ensure they'll be safe._

' _Guess I'm not much better than Kai...' The earth ninja thought sardonically to himself._

 _The Shark Army were considering dragging their victim back to Garmadon's volcano base before they got interrupted._

" _What's going on?" A voice that didn't belong to any of the Shark Army members called out._

 _The Shark Army made a run for it before any witnesses could call authorities, pushing down any locals that got in their way. The only proof that they were in the city was the badly beaten young man lying on the street..._

* * *

"You were lucky those commoners had the decency to call the doctors when they did!" Lou continued scolding his son, "If they arrived even one second too late, you would've been crippled for life! Did you even consider how your relatives would feel if something terrible happened to you?"

Cole remained silent while his father kept scolding him for letting himself get hurt.

He said things most worried parents would say such as what would happen if they got wounded even further and how other people may react to his predicament but Cole doubted his father had any real concern for his wellbeing. Lou always criticized or berated him for just about everything and only now did he show the slightest sign of worry and it was all about his physical condition. If Cole didn't know better, his father was only concerned about his ability to dance and to always have a healthy dancer to fill in his shoes.

The only people he was concerned about were his friends. He didn't want their secret identities to be discovered because of him. He wanted to protect them, not put them in danger. But he didn't want to make them worry about him. He's supposed to help them, not hinder them.

But he'll still have to face them tomorrow...

* * *

The ninja gathered around Cole once they were all in the hideout. Much of his body was covered with dressings, gauze, and bandages and there were still several exposed bruises. His black eye looked just like it did when he was found that night.

"A-are you going to be alright…?" Heather nervously asked.

"I'll live through this..." Cole winced a tiny bit when he felt some pain in his bandaged hand.

"Dammit! This is all my fault!" Kai growled, blaming himself for the unfortunate incident.

If he kept his temper in check during Wu's investigation, then Garmadon still won't know of the ninja now and Cole wouldn't have gotten hurt. The fire ninja was already mad at himself for putting the rest of the team in danger and now that one of his friends was badly injured, his anger had only risen. He already wanted to cut down every last member of the Shark Army for hurting his friend and if it were Lloyd or Nya, not even a miracle will save them from his wrath.

"Kai, Garmadon and the Shark Army would've found out about us anyway." Cole tried to console him.

"That's not the point!" The fire ninja exclaimed, "They were out looking for us! If they never knew of the Secret Ninja Force, they would've never been there and they _knew because of_ _ **me**_!"

Kai's rage erupted and he tore one of the training dummies in two.

"Alright Kai, settle down." Nya was nonchalant to her brother's madness.

Luna was too shocked to make even the slightest sound. In front of her was Cole Charbonneau, one of the strongest young men she ever met, covered in all sorts of bruises and wounds and never looking so helpless. The earth ninja was able to do so many things she can't and if the Shark Army can still give him a serious beating, then what kind of unspeakable horrors could they do to _her_?

"Luna? Are you feeling sick or something? You look even more pale." Iris observed her friend.

"Please don't hurt me!" The kunoichi of sound ducked and whimpered.

The earth ninja saw how his wellbeing affected the Secret Ninja Force. He had never seen Kai acting so enraged (which says a lot) and Luna was acting like she witnessed a murder.

"I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble..." Cole apologized and hung his head in shame.

"Apologizing won't make a difference," Wu bluntly said, "The past can't be changed but the impact it could make and how it may affect the future can still be up to you to decide."

"Cole, you might require an extended period of rest if you wish to fully recover." Zane suggested.

The earth ninja sat back and observed his brethren train. It felt strange being the one who needs help. His effort to keep his friends' secret safe only made them even more concerned. Cole knew what Wu said was true. The past is already done but at least he was still around to continue protecting them as well as decide if it will be a grim foreshadowing of what's to come...

* * *

Insults and glared were an everyday part of Lloyd's school life so he didn't think too much into it when all resentful eyes fell on him the moment he arrived in school.

"Did you hear about what happened?" Some of the teens whispered amongst themselves.

"I can't believe they did that to him!" Others shuddered thinking about what happened.

The Shark Army's beatdown on Cole quickly spread in the school. Because they were working for Lord Garmadon, his son, whom everyone thought was just as bad as him, was also to blame.

"It's all your fault!"

"It's your fault Cole got hurt!"

"I knew he's out to get us!"

Lloyd was as disheartened as ever by the blame the other teens were throwing at him. It was already hellish for him to hear their insults every single second he was in the building but now, they started to blame him for his own friend's unfortunate mishap. But this time, Lloyd started to think that they may have a point. He did choose to join the Secret Ninja Force along with Cole to oppose his own father.

"What do you have to say for yourself? You've done nothing but brought misery to this school. Ninjago would be a much better place without you!" Some of the bullies pushed Lloyd onto the ground.

The green-eyed boy didn't even bother to get up. More teens circled him and continued throwing the blame on him as well as accusations that he and his father were the same.

"Lloyd!"

The pariah recognized Nya, who quickly came to his rescue. While helping her friend back on his feet, the tenacious girl sent an icy glare at the bullies' direction.

"What does Lloyd have to do with what happened to Cole or even the Shark Army?" Nya growled.

"His dad is their boss and he's a bad guy so of course he's a bad guy too!" Her classmates' responses wasn't anything new.

'Of course...' The kunoichi of water should've known these idiots have no idea what Lloyd's really like nor would they be interested in knowing.

According to the wretched society of these shallow morons, anybody who's popular can never do any wrong and if anything bad happens to them, the unpopular are to blame.

"Let's get out of here, Lloyd. These people are a waste of time." Nya guided her friend away from the crowd of relentless bullies.

The young ninja followed his friend, not telling her of this strange thought in his head that in a twisted way, those bullies will be proven right one day...

* * *

Lloyd was all alone while eating lunch at the school rooftop.

"Mind if I join you?"

The outcast was astonished by the person standing not far from him.

"Cole…?"

The earth ninja still looked like a complete wreck but he didn't seem to care, just like with everything else from training as a ninja to having his radio belting out hard rock in the middle of the library.

Seriously, is there anything besides music this guy cares about?

"I didn't think you'd want to talk to me… After what happened..." Lloyd turned away from his comrade but Cole wasn't dissuaded so easily.

"What happened wasn't your fault," The earth ninja started, "Garmadon doesn't know you're a ninja. Hell, he doesn't know anything about the Secret Ninja Force except that it exists."

"You're just saying that..."

"No. I really mean it. Even if you weren't Garmadon's son or if you never even existed, the Shark Army would've still beaten me up anyway. You had nothing to do with what happened back there. Everyone in Ninjago is bound to have something bad happen to them, including us. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the worst time possible. You had absolutely nothing to do with it."

"Try telling everyone else that."

"Teens can be really shallow. You don't have to let them control who you are. We are all different and if someone doesn't like that, then it's their fault. We're all in control of what we do. I guess I should've left earlier but I am responsible for the consequences of my actions alone. I wanted to keep the Shark Army from hurting you and the other ninja. I'm not perfect. No one is. But you can't get everybody to like you. That's one of the harsher truths of life that we just have to accept. Believe me, I understand what it's like."

"Yeah… You told me about your dad..."

"I know it can be hard but we should put the past behind us. We have much more important things to be concerned about."

"You're saying that like it's a bad thing."

"We'll see." Cole shrugged.

The pair can do nothing but prepare for what's to come...

* * *

After a few days passed, the ninja were back at the hideout and even Cole was looking well enough to start training again. But Master Wu stopped them before they could change into their uniforms.

"Master Wu, is something going on…?" Heather can tell something big was going to happen.

"You won't have to wear your training gi anymore." Wu was about to continue...

"We're finally getting our new uniforms!?" The quick-tempered Hinata siblings got in his face.

"Let me say it, otherwise it won't have as much dramatic effect," Wu paused for a moment before he can finally speak without interruption, "It's now time to unveil your new uniforms."

Wu handed each of his students their gi that will now set them apart as individuals.

"Hell yeah!" Kai was already itching to start training in his new uniform.

Kai's gi was red with black details and vice versa with his pants. He also had a gold undershirt peeking out of the neckline and a piece of armor on his left shoulder.

"I guess this isn't so bad..." Jay had to admit he liked seeing his design come to life.

Jay's gi was entirely blue and he kept his trademark scarf as he planned, tucked under his gi. To keep it from standing out too much, his pant legs were fastened with matching orange material. He also had a belt strapped across his torso carrying tools in case his technological know-how will come in handy.

"Nice..." Cole was as laid-back as ever at the unveiling of his new uniform.

Cole's gi was sleeveless (of course) and unlike the other uniforms so far, his didn't have an undershirt so his gi will also show off his buff chest. His uniform generally had brown and gold details and he had a pair of black and gold bracelets to finish his look.

"White is just right." Zane's quirky mannerisms extended to his reaction to his gi.

Zane's gi was almost completely white save for the black trimming on the waist and straight neckline and his black gloves. On his belt were some gadgets which may be useful to the android, who noticed that his gi was folded with his right side being in front like Cole's while everyone else had theirs folded with their left in front.

"Neat!" Nya stared in awe at her new apparel.

Nya's gi was mostly silver with white and light blue trimming at the neckline. Her uniform had a skirt made of metal and armor pads on the elbows, giving it the slight samurai vibe she was aiming for.

"I could get used to this!" Aria was ecstatic to wear something she designed all by herself.

Like Cole, Aria designed her gi to be sleeveless. Instead she had long slender gloves covering much of her arms in the same orange hue as her gi save for her hands, where they were black, which seemed to be a running theme for the ninja's uniforms. She also had a pair of shorts instead of pants but she also had tall boots, making her stand out amongst the team.

"Not bad." Heather acknowledged that her gi looked impressive to her.

The obi-like green sash around the waist of Heather's teal gi had was embroidered with a vine pattern and the sides of her pant legs had a floral pattern too. Like Aria, she too had a sleeveless gi but instead of tight gloves, she had what could only be called arm covers that were slightly loose at her wrists but also had black gloves over her hands.

"It's… nice… I suppose..." Luna was nervous as always but didn't mind the look of her gi.

Luna's purple gi had slightly billowing sleeves similar to a traditional kimono. She had a separate black skirt but also a pair of skin tight dark purple pants.

"This actually came out better than I thought." Iris confessed while examining her gi.

Iris' gi was pink, proving that she was a girly girl at heart but being a ninja, her uniform as a whole was primarily black like most of her teammates'. Like Luna, she too had a skirt but hers was pink too. She also wore some shorts underneath for… more protection… as well as some opaque black stockings.

"Whatever..." Lloyd was more or less apathetic.

He already knew what is was going to look like so why bother getting all worked up about it?

Finally, Lloyd's black gi was textured with mesh and had green and gold details. Like Kai, he also had a gold undershirt visible above the neckline of his gi.

"I don't know about you guys but I don't think any of us planned to have this detail." Aria goaded her teammates to turn their gi around.

The two things each of the ninja's unique uniforms had in common were the names of their elements embellished on the edge of their gi as well as a symbol on their backs, slightly similar to the one that graced the training gi they'll finally discard. However, the very center of the symbol were still unique to each ninja.

As Iris inspected hers, she saw the same pentagon as the one on her shield. Lloyd's was a six-pointed star, Zane had a cross between a triangle and a snowflake, Cole's a plain triangle, and Jay's symbol was a lightning bolt. Kai and Nya's each had a completely abstract symbol they had yet to figure out. Aria's emblem were a couple of swirls while Heather's looked like an abstract leaf or petal. Luna saw a little circle surrounded by a few curved lines.

"Do we get to try them on now?" Iris asked.

"I must also remind you that every time you face the Shark Army or go out in public as ninja, you must _always_ keep your true identities a secret to protect yourselves and by extension, everyone in Ninjago." Wu concluded before handing his pupils the very last part of their new outfits.

The final part of the ninja's uniforms that will also conceal their true identities, were their masks. They were all almost completely identical except for Zane's, which was completely white and had the same symbol on the forehead as the one on the back of his gi. The other masks were almost entirely black except for a band around the forehead in each ninja's unique color while Cole's was brown because he was already the black ninja. Each mask had a letter on the center of the forehead but not all of them could make a connection with them and their element. At least Aria believed the 'A' embroidered on her mask was meant to be her initial, even with her true identity having to remain secret.

Lloyd wasn't sure what the symbol on his mask really was. It didn't seem to match up with any letters or numbers in Ninjago's traditional script. The closest character he could think of was 'G', which he felt to be more insulting than it should be. The only connection he could think of was 'Garmadon'.

Was Wu trying to make things harder than they should be for Lloyd?

The ninja tried the masks on, finding them surprisingly light. The material wasn't too heavy, allowing them to breathe easily with them on.

While most of the ninja will have to always carry their weapons, Kai had a pair of scabbards and Zane had a satchel to carry arrows.

The young men and women were all going through a vast variety of thoughts and emotions once they donned their new gi that will set them apart from everyone else in Ninjago City.

"The time to confront the Shark Army and even Garmadon himself creeps ever closer. Training will be an everyday part of your lives as ninja, even after you claim many victories. The journey to hone your skills will not end until your lives reach theirs."

Zane didn't say anything but felt slightly uncomfortable by his teacher's words...

"So what do we do now?" Jay asked.

"You will carry on with your lives as civilians _and_ ninja until the next big change happens..."

"And when's that gonna be?" Kai joined in on pestering his mentor.

"I know a lot but not everything. You can't truly learn or expect all the answers to be handed to you. You can't get everything you want in life... I know that from experience..."

"How can we be sure if we're ready? We can't forget what happened to Cole and that could only be a small taste of what the Shark Army and Garmadon can really do. It could take years before we're even the slightest bit prepared for what's to come." Heather said.

"You'll have to find out for yourselves. Time can only move forward. Will you move along with the flow of time or swim against the current?"

The Secret Ninja Force were now more aware than ever that time will not wait for them. They knew a time will come when they'll have to fight against Garmadon but that wasn't what bothered them.

Their main concern was _when_ that moment will arrive…

* * *

 **I was originally gonna have Cole come out in one piece or be rescued but too much plot armor makes for a bad story. So now that the ninja have their uniforms, we're getting closer to some good ol' ninja action.**

 **BTW, since the Olympics in Korea started yesterday, I'll give you all my headcanon that Chen from the movie is Korean/Caucasian. It may be my self-deprecation speaking since I'm Korean…**

 **Okay. Enough rambling. Please review & I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	26. My Little Shadow

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Phew! I managed to get another chapter just in time! This one's short after that super long V-Day oneshot yesterday. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 25: My Little Shadow

The ninja and kunoichi got dressed in their new individual uniforms. It felt strange to wear something new for the very first time but they still felt a sense of excitement.

"Um… how do I look?" Jay asked once he was fully dressed in his blue gi.

"Stop worrying, Jay," Nya responded, "You don't look _that_ much different."

The blue ninja blushed but quickly hid his face in his scarf. He thought Nya looked even more gorgeous in her new gi, not that he'll ever say it out loud.

Cole gave an experimental flex showing off his large powerful bicep. Luna felt her face heat up at the sight of his muscles. She was sure her complexion was a more intense red than Kai's gi.

Aria gave a little twirl, showing off her orange uniform. She felt all giddy wearing a unique outfit only she would've come up with. Iris was also pleasantly surprised that her new gi was comfortable. It was a far cry from the frilly Sweet Lolita clothes she always wore but it will do.

Lloyd still didn't find the uniform change that much of a big deal. Beauty is only skin deep and his new gi won't change the fact that he's the widely despised son of Lord Garmadon.

At least until the ninja will get the inevitable attention once they start fighting the Shark Army...

All the uniforms were different from each other and from the clothes they've always worn.

"This is not a time to celebrate." Of course Master Wu was the one to burst the ninja's bubble.

The ninja remembered that their new gi was also a sign that confrontation with Garmadon is creeping ever closer. They were now starting to realize that being a ninja was far from what they expected.

"Start training in your uniforms to grow accustomed to them. The time to take action draws near."

Wu can tell his students were disappointed but he can't sugarcoat the truth. Not after wasting a lot of time getting to know one another. They'll be going on a lot of adventures soon...

* * *

Iris and Karloff spent another day in Ninjago City, browsing and shopping for clothes and other things they'll need. But today, they had a third person joining them.

"Look! There's a sale going on at Eternal 18!" Aria pointed at the store.

Iris heard from Nya that Aria was a shopaholic and since she also like shopping, she thought they'll be able to bond over their mutual interest and invited her to spend a day in the city with her and Karloff.

The burly man considered himself a very patient individual but found himself quickly exhausted by Iris' friend wanting to stop by every single outlet they come across. Then again, he let his niece drag him to places only she liked so he followed along with little complaint.

"Let's stop by the Uniclo after this! I wanna see if they got some good tops to try on!" Aria insisted.

"Aria… please..." Iris also liked shopping but still found Aria's flightiness a bit exhausting.

"I can tell you like shopping… a lot… but there are much more important things to buy than clothing." Karloff said, being more patient than his niece.

"I couldn't resist!" Aria exclaimed, "It's like they're calling to me!"

"Let's keep going Iris," Karloff consoled his niece, "I know what will cheer you up!"

Iris' violet eyes finally shone with a sparkle of excitement when she caught sight of one of her absolute favorite places in the entire city.

"We're finally here!" The girly girl practically squealed with glee, "I love their clothes! Come on! I can show you around Darling, the Stars Shine Bright! You're gonna love it!"

Iris dragged both Karloff and Aria into the shop. The kunoichi of wind couldn't say that Lolita Fashion was for her but she did like the cute looks and can see why someone like Iris would like it so much.

"Come one! You gotta try on at least one of the dresses!" Iris shoved some of the frilly clothing on the kunoichi of wind's face.

"I don't think -"

"How about this one?" The violet-eyed girl showed her friend a white dress that had a bunch of bows on the tiered skirt.

"It's cute but I already got some white clothes," The kunoichi of wind In fact, I have a lot like blouses, skirts, socks, and..."

"Okay! I get it!" Iris stopped her before she could ramble.

"I gotta get home before it's too late or else my parents won't let me hear the end of it." Aria said.

"But you two are getting along in this… group project… right?" Karloff asked.

"Yeah..." Iris answered with a slight hint of nervousness...

"We're not working on a group project. We're part of- mmph!" Aria almost blabbed about the Secret Ninja Force had Iris not clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Aria! You're such an airhead!" The kunoichi of metal scolded her ally.

Karloff had no idea where Iris' odd behavior was coming from. He went through a lot and didn't want his niece to go through the same or at least not do something she might end up regretting.

"Are you sure you're not doing anything… off…?"

"Of course not!" Both girls said, Aria finally realizing she almost blabbed about her secret life as part of the Secret Ninja Force.

Karloff kept giving the girls a scrutinizing gaze for a few moments before his steely eyes softened.

'That was close!' Both kunoichi sighed in relief once he turned around.

If they were to keep their secret, they might have their work cut out for them...

* * *

Jay only heard of The Petite Corner after Zane told him he now had a part-time job there. Having had the robot's cooking before, he was sure the place will be a hit. Much to his surprise, the cafe still didn't have a lot of people when he got there in the afternoon.

"Excuse me." A girl's voice asked behind him.

"S-sorry!" Jay realized he was standing right in front of the entrance but recognized the girl.

"Heather…!" The lightning ninja briefly panicked. This was the first time he interacted with one of the kunoichi besides Nya outside of training.

"What's up?" Heather greeted casually.

The freckled boy started stuttering and shaking like a leaf. Heather saw glimpses of his cautious nature during training but understood what it's like. She did feel anxious while thinking about the possibilities her new life as a kunoichi has opened up to her but she thought it best to be courteous and give him the benefit of the doubt.

"There's no need to get all jittery. I was going to grab a bite to eat but we could go in and eat together if that's fine by you." The kunoichi of nature offered.

"N-not at all." The timid boy complied.

"Welcome." Zane greeted his teammates as he did with everyone who stopped by the cafe.

"No offense, I thought you would be cooking." Jay admitted.

"I will. I have to perform small duties before I can work in the kitchen. But for now, what will you like to order? The special for today is the mild chicken curry."

"I'll have the omurice." Jay answered.

"And I'll be having the cream sauce spaghetti." Heather added.

"Please wait for your orders." The android left to fetch their meals.

"I wonder what Zane's cooking will taste like." Heather said.

"Wait until you taste Zane's cooking. It's out of this world. One time, he made sandwiches for Cole and me and it was the best I've ever had." Jay told her.

"I've never really seen you much in school until we joined… you know..." Heather said, aware that they were in a public place.

"I guess you could say I'm a wallflower." Jay replied.

"There's quite a few shy people in school and I see them every once in a while but we never really saw each other until now."

"I'm actually part of the auto club with Lloyd. Maybe that's why we never met..."

"That's understandable. I also work at the flower shop after school so I don't spend much time out in the city during weekdays either."

"You work at a flower shop?"

"Yeah. I work at the one called Blossoming Memories not far from here. You can come over whenever you have the chance."

"I never really thought much about Mother Nature, even though I spent almost all of my childhood in the Garden City of Parsa. I grew up around technology and I'm more easily drawn to it."

"I'm not too surprised, knowing you're in the auto club..."

"If you ask me, I think the world will be a much better place if technology took over everything." The usually timid teen said rather bluntly.

"Are you saying Mother Nature was never necessary?" Heather glowered.

"I just don't see what's so important about a bunch of plants. And technology has taken humans to so many places and plants have never done that."

"How dare you take nature for granted? I thought you would know better growing up in Parsa."

"Parsa has a lot more than gardens you know." Jay felt more aggravated than annoyed for once, which surprised even himself.

"Forgive me for interrupting but please do not disturb the patrons otherwise I must ask you to leave." Zane interrupted his teammate's debate.

The robot's stern face was a stark contrast to his usually naive expressions. Heather and Jay were both intimidated by how different Zane was from his quirky self.

"Before you forget, your food is ready," The android pointed at the dishes already set on their table, "I would recommend putting your argument aside and eat before your meals get cold."

"Sorry." His teammates apologized and ate their food in awkward silence.

Looks like things aren't going to be all perfect and dandy within the Secret Ninja Force…

* * *

Just as expected, training went on as usual at the hideout, even with the ninja's new gi.

During the ninja's break from training, Kai had a lot he wanted to say, especially to Cole. It's been quite a while since he gave away the Secret Ninja Force to the Shark Army but he still had yet to rid himself of the guilt. He spent most of their breaks moping lately and Cole noticed it.

"Hey." Cole greeted the red ninja and joined him at the corner of the warehouse.

Kai gave a small 'hmph' in return and Cole can tell he was still guilt-ridden by the unfortunate events that happened ever since his counterproductive attempt to save Master Wu from the Shark Army.

"I don't think it's healthy to keep moping about what's already happened." The earth ninja said.

"You really think it's that simple?" His teammate retorted, "You think you can just act like that beating from the Shark Army never happened? You were lucky you came out of it alive."

"And be thankful I did," Cole replied firmly, "Kai, it's time to put the past behind us."

"It's still my fault you got hurt."

"I know how tempting it is but you can never undo the past. But you still have plenty of opportunities to make things right again. When we fight the Shark Army, you'll be able to kick their asses."

"If you think that's gonna make me better, then you failed."

"I seriously wonder how Nya's still alive having a brother like you." Cole wasn't lying. Kai's reluctance to ever compromise was getting frustrating even for such an easygoing guy like him.

"What are you implying?" The hothead kept glaring at his teammate.

"I'm just saying," The earth ninja shrugged, "It won't do you any good to keep moping. I'm serious, Kai. If you're gonna do nothing but beat yourself up, more people will get hurt. I don't want that either."

The fire ninja never felt so conflicted in his whole life. He didn't want more people ending up like Cole but he still can't let go of his past mistakes.

But which choice should he make?

Keep everyone safe but do nothing or risk everything to save them?

The fire ninja's grip on the hilt of one of his katana tightened.

He can only choose one path...

* * *

Lloyd and Iris' lunches together was mostly the former mulling over his terrible social life and absence of his father for most of his life while the latter was always willing to lend an ear.

"It's strange that he's never around but he still manages to ruin my life." Lloyd complained over his evil parent's reputation and the effects it had on his formative years.

"I don't think he really intended for that to happen..." Iris tried reasoning with him.

"Are you kidding me? He probably knows my mom and I are living in the city! If he didn't want us to be separated, why didn't he try doing anything about it!? He could've tried searching for us or even find our number but he didn't!"

"But do you really think living with an evil father will make life easier? How do you think you'll turn out if you were raised by your dad?"

"I never really thought about it that much to be honest," Lloyd sighed, "I really don't want to turn out to be a mini version of my dad but I think it's because he was never around. If he lived with us or if my mom stayed, I can't imagine how I would've ended up..."

"At least you still have your mom..." Iris reminded him, "She may not have it easy either. If you end up marrying the worst guy ever, you're guaranteed to get all sorts of attention."

"I do appreciate the things she's done for me since she left Garmadon yet I can't shake off this feeling. It's kinda like… resentment..."

"So you hate your mom too?"

"No! I do love her… but I can't forget that she was the one who chose to leave Garmadon… I still can't imagine what my life would've been like if she stayed… I didn't ask for Garmadon to be my father… but I can't imagine how I would end up if she married some ordinary guy and stayed with him..."

"You should consider yourself lucky to have a good mother…" Iris said all of a sudden.

Now it was Iris' turn to be the brooding one. Lloyd never thought it would be the other way around.

"Why would you say that?"

"I'm living with my uncle. Isn't it obvious?"

Even if all the hate Lloyd got was unwarranted, he still wasn't perfect. Until now, the reality that there were other people struggling with family issues never crossed his mind. What he said about himself to Cole was true. He was a selfish brat.

"Is there something going on between you and your parents?" Lloyd asked.

The hint of iron in Iris' eyes have completely faded. Her amethyst orbs looked… empty. And the glare she sent at him seemed devoid of any of the kindness she always displayed. Lloyd was taken aback by his teammate's sudden change in attitude.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to..." He tried to console her.

Iris' cold gaze softened but she headed back into the building without saying a word, which still failed to ease the tension. The green-eyed youth can already tell things weren't looking up between Iris and her parents but she (and everyone else) knew of his daddy issues.

'What gives these people the right to get away with bullying you, huh?' Lloyd's darker thoughts began to interfere with his life. He always felt envious of other kids who had things going smoothly for them and expected their whole lives to be just like that. He tried not to think too much into it but such dark emotions have been popping up ever since he joined the Secret Ninja Force.

'Can't think of these things now… There's bigger things to worry about...'

Lloyd had to go back inside to resume his miserable school life but ignored the strange sensation that went off deep in his chest...

* * *

It wasn't just Luna who would feed the dog that now resided by the ninja hideout. Zane arrived early and fed the shaggy critter some cooked chicken. The dog wagged its tail like a helicopter rotor while it happily munched on the succulent meat. Luna herself was surprised when she came early only to find the android already feeding their canine friend.

"Zane? I didn't expect you to be here." Luna greeted the ice ninja.

"I assumed you would. We are ninja after all." Zane responded.

Luna still brought a dog biscuit for the critter who was just as happy to eat it after it was finished with the chicken.

"It's kinda dumb of me to feed the dog for a while and still not come up with a name for it," Luna said, "I'm quite embarrassed to say it but I don't even know if it's a boy or girl."

The robot suddenly lifted the dog's leg to scan its body, much to his teammate's astonishment.

"Zane…!" The kunoichi of sound gasped.

"It is female." Zane said once the dog's gender was confirmed by his scans.

"Then what shall we name her?"

"We cannot take her in to our homes yet she stays by our side. She is almost like a shadow..."

Luna wondered if 'Shadow' will be a suitable name for the dog. It wasn't exactly original but...

"Varjo." The robot spoke almost from out of nowhere.

"...What…?" Luna tilted her head in confusion.

"Varjo. It means 'shadow' in Finnish. It may be a fitting name because she is like a shadow to us ninja."

"Wait… You… know Finnish…?"

"When I was being built, I was programmed to speak and read both the Common Tongue and Finnish. My father's ancestors were of Finnish descent. I assume he wanted to stay in touch with his roots."

"That's interesting… Do you also consider yourself Finnish?"

"I am… not sure… I was made so I do not think I would have an ethnicity..."

"But you often say you're just like us at school."

"I want to believe that I am the same… But because I was built, I do not believe I have an ethnicity..."

"So that makes you different. Didn't you say you want to be the same as humans?"

"As much as I want to be treated on the same level as humans, I will always be different. However, in a sense, we are all different. I simply do not want my inorganic body to be what people see as my main difference. It is the difference in every individual person that

"I think I understand..."

The little dog barked, alerting the pair of the other ninja's arrival.

"But Varjo… you don't mind being called that, do you?" Luna asked the newly christened dog, who let out another bark as if to tell her she accepted her new name.

Then Varjo it is...

* * *

Nya and Jay finally found a moment to hang out together between classes. They headed for the roof of the school so they can talk about their lives as ninja a bit more openly.

"Since we got our new uniforms, what do you think will happen next?" Jay asked.

"I don't know," Nya shrugged, "But whatever comes next, I'll be ready."

The lightning ninja remained silent, admiring his teammate's confidence with pretty much everything. She was way out of his league...

"Now that I'm the kunoichi of water, I've been thinking up of designs for my mech."

"All I've come up with so far is something that could swim underwater but I want it to also be versatile so I'm planning on a design that could let it function on all kinds of terrain. What about you?"

"I'm still thinking about what I want..."

"I don't think it's really fair making Lloyd do all the work. You know, since we know a lot about working with machines, maybe we could also build some of the mechs..."

"You want the both of us to work together?" Nya raised an eyebrow, catching on his choice of words.

"I-I-I mean… I-if you w-want to… Oh gosh..." Jay wrapped his scarf over his head to hide his face.

"I don't mind working with you. Come on, Jay. Stop being so nervous all the damn time. You're a ninja now and you can't give up now. Not after all the things that's happened already."

Nya was right. Jay made his decision to join the team to be more courageous, not to keep spazzing out at the slightest sign of trouble.

"I understand that it can be tough… but only a true coward would back out at the first opportunity and you didn't when the opportunity was in front of you more than once. I like to think we can all become more than what we believe we are."

"Do you still think someone like me could become something more…?"

"Sure," Nya said, "If you really like to know, I don't mind working with you."

"Really?" Jay literally squeaked.

Nya chuckled at the shy boy's reactions. It can be a bit annoying at times but also kinda cute. The blue ninja always had a certain charm that set him apart from every other guy. Heck, not one single person was ever the same.

Before they could talk some more, they heard the bell ring and their faces were beet red in an instant.

There's no way the other teens at school will let them hear the end of this…

* * *

 **Yeah. It's not much but I have a bunch of plans.**

 **Check out my special V-Day story, Blue Is My Favorite Color. I dare you to try & read it in one go. As always, please review & I'll see you again soon!**


	27. Playing Hero

**Discovering Destiny**

 **We're finally at another milestone for this story!**

 **The ninja will set out on their very first mission! Will they succeed? Read to find out!**

* * *

Chapter 26: Playing Hero

Life went on for the ninja as they spent more days training at the hideout. No one else in Ninjago City would know that… for now...

Beachcombers still gathered at the shore by the city, wanting to catch a wave, work on their tan, and build sand castles. Even with Garmadon's volcano base within sight, the people of Ninjago City were as blissful as always, not even that mob of weirdos dressed as sea creatures creeping onto the shores put them off -

"It's the Shark Army!" One of the less idiotic people recognized Garmadon's underlings.

The citizens _finally_ realized what was going on and started running around aimlessly like they already expected some kind of badass miracle to jump in and save the day.

Of course the Secret Ninja Force caught wind of it even in the midst of training.

"Crap! I didn't think they would start getting serious already!" Jay panicked even before the ninja had a chance to do anything.

"I always knew this day would come..." Wu sighed, hearing the panicked cries of the people. Of course being the mysterious old guy, he could hear anything no matter how far away they are.

The ninja knew what their weird teacher meant and they all had different opinions.

"I don't want to sound rude or anything but I don't think we have what it takes." Iris said.

"And you can't remain the way you are now for the rest of your lives," The sagely mentor responded, "You all knew this day will come to pass the moment you agreed to join the Secret Ninja Force."

"Yeah but we didn't expect it so soon!" Aria argued.

"We're really gonna have to fight the Shark Army…? For real…?" Luna felt so much anxiety at the idea of facing Garmadon's minions so soon she even began to feel lightheaded.

"Ease yourself, Luna," Zane placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You will not have to deal with your emotions by yourself."

"Kai, I thought you'd be all for it." Nya glanced at her brother who was uncharacteristically somber.

"I told you before," Cole told the fire ninja, knowing what he was probably thinking, "You can't mope about the past forever."

"What if more people get hurt? The Shark Army already beat up Cole and I don't want to cause more trouble than I already have!" Kai exclaimed.

"You are responsible for your actions as well as the consequences of them. Which path will you take?" Wu told his hot-blooded student sternly.

The fire ninja still felt conflicted over his choices. He could either keep his distance but let Garmadon hurt more people or risk it all to protect them. Kai utterly loathed being unable to do anything to keep his loved ones safe but one of the few things he hated more than that was sitting back and let anyone and anything have their way with them.

'But what if the same thing happens again…?'

Kai failed once and will he fail again?

He knew there's only one way to find out. The river that is time can only flow ever forward. Trying to swim against the current will only cause more problems and the fire ninja had no intentions of running away from his problems. There was the risk of his fears becoming a reality yet he didn't want become complacent and act like some miracle will solve all the world's problems in a flash. He had chosen this path and damn it if he's not gonna keep his vow.

He knew what he wanted _and_ must do.

"I'll do it," Kai vowed and grabbed his katana, "I will go to protect them."

"Master Wu, forgive me for my disobedience but I do not wish to take any lives." Zane said.

"You won't have to. All you have to do is stop the Shark Army from causing any harm to the citizens." Wu reassured his android apprentice.

"Won't that give them the chance to hone _their_ skills?" Cole pointed out.

"Knowing my brother, you won't have to worry about them… _learning_..." Wu said as cryptically as ever.

"What's that supposed to mean?" His nephew raised an eyebrow.

"You might find out one day."

The ninja and kunoichi grabbed their weapons and were just about to head out…

"Before you leave," Master Wu paused so his pupils can collectively groan with exasperation, "I'll ask you this one more time. Are you ready?"

Wu's students looked at one another and knew each and every one of them felt their own emotions, thoughts, and feelings about all this. Lloyd looked at his teammates and can see it in their eyes, from the passionate fire and tenacious tides in Kai and Nya's to the uncertainty in Aria's. Even he had plenty of mixed feelings about this. For starters, the true bad guy was his own father.

The others also looked at him as if saying 'Are you sure you want to do this?'

Lloyd was convinced he only hated his father but why was he so ambivalent about it?

'I'm supposed to be a ninja. I can't let… that guy… get to me.'

The green ninja remembered why he became a ninja in the first place. As much as he hated his father, he wanted answers more than anything and this may be the only way to get them...

"We're ready." Lloyd answered for his team.

"Very well," Wu gave his pupils permission to set out on their very first mission, "Remember, you are the only ones who can save Ninjago if you can truly function as a team. Now go."

The ninja and kunoichi all donned their masks and set out to stop the Shark Army for the first time...

* * *

The Shark Army wreaked all sorts of havoc at the beach such as destroying sand castles or sabotaging anyone who tried to surf. The whole beach fell into a state of discord and pandemonium and for some contrived reason, there were no authoritative figures making even the slightest attempt to stop them.

"Hold it right there!" A young sounding voice shouted at the hooligans.

The Shark Army stopped in the middle of their shenanigans and turned their heads slowly towards the source of the voice. Even the civilians that were being harassed stopped running around like headless chickens to stare at whoever talked. Standing before the beach were what appeared to be ten young men and women wearing colorful ninja costumes, each carrying a unique weapon.

No one was sure how to react to these strangers and the beach was completely silent.

"Who the hell are you?" This General #1, who was different from the one Cole remembered, stared at the group of weirdos.

The young vigilantes looked flustered and whispered amongst one another. They never thought about what to say to their enemies or if they should at all.

"Um… stop whatever you're doing… uh… evil scum!" The girl in teal stuttered with an English accent.

"Oh yeah? And what's it to ya, freaks?" Another henchman sneered at the brats.

"You won't cause any more trouble under our watch because we're..." The ninja in green announced.

"Ninja!"

"Is it dinnertime?"

"Your worst nightmare!"

"What were we supposed to say again?"

"I don't wanna be here!"

"Does this gi make me look fat?"

The ninja stared at one another incredulously, not even able to agree on what to say. The Shark Army _and_ the civilians who were still at the beach for some reason stared at them in awkward silence.

Yup. This is how the ninja will begin their illustrious career as protectors of the realm.

"Wouldn't ya believe it? A bunch of cosplay nerds playing hero!" The Shark Army started guffawing at these geeky upstarts.

"It is not wise to judge us so soon. It is our first day." The guy in white said, sounding like a robot.

"Oh please," Another one of Garmadon's goons scoffed, "That's the oldest excuse in the book!"

"But it is true." The white ninja insisted until the other ninja held him back.

"Go home you brats! You can never defeat our lord and master!" Another shooed them.

"Great. _Now_ they're starting to sound creepy." The muscular ninja in black rolled his eyes.

"Enough with the chit-chat!" One of the girls, this one clad in silver, stepped forward, "There's no way you or Garmadon will succeed as long as we're around!"

Some of the ninja took a simple fighting stance, provoking the Shark Army.

"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you get!" The Shark Army took out their weapons and began to charge at the confused ninja.

Most of the ninja ran from their enemies' weapons but some had the backbone to fight back.

The girl in silver stood her ground and immediately blocked their attacks with her spear.

Nya was surprised that a bunch of silly-looking flimsy weapons were able to hold their own but given their wielders most likely having more training than her, it wasn't too surprising. Her spear shook from the sheer force and she jumped back to give her weapon more room to strike. She constantly kept her distance while swinging and thrusting her spear at them.

Kai used all the knowledge he gained from his kendo lessons to fight off the Shark Army. He was much more adept at fighting with one katana instead of two but that didn't stop him from trying to chop his opponents into bits with both blades, especially whenever they seemed to gang up on him. The fiery ninja forgot all about his previous worries and chased down every Shark Army member he could find, refusing to let them hurt any more people.

Each of the ninja used their weapons to fend off the Shark Army, some better than others.

The girl in orange flailed about with her daggers aimlessly like an annoying fly and the girl wearing teal sometimes spun while trying to swing her mace. Even worse was the young man in blue trying to use his kusarigama. His efforts were almost laughable with the way he tried to swing it only for the sickle to fall short of its target whenever he threw it or even got tangled in the chains.

The one in pink, despite having a sword, practically did nothing but block her assailants with her shield while the ninja in black held his ground, using his large hammer in a more defensive manner. Amidst the chaos, the girl in purple didn't even put up a fight. All she did was run around and hide behind her braver comrades despite having a pair of sai. Seeing one of these supposed heroes being a complete coward was almost laughable.

The only ninja who was even the slightest bit competent was the white ninja. He fired his arrows at his enemies' weapons, flinging them off their hands with a nigh improbable aim. More often than not, his arrows were able to hit their targets despite him saying this was his first day on the job. It was almost as if he really was a robot, reading the Shark Army's every move.

However, the ninja in green was no slouch either.

With his sword, the green ninja remained focused on driving back the Shark Army. He possessed much more determination than the others and while his skills with the sword was still subpar at best, he was already more ruthless and chased down any minion he could find. Too bad he needed a lot more than willpower to match up against the Shark Army.

The ninja still found themselves often on the receiving end of their match due to their inexperience.

The Shark Army landed several hits on the ninja. Even with weapons of better quality, these wannabes didn't have the same kind of training they did under Garmadon, who demanded only perfection and nothing less. Try as they might, the ninja can tell the difference in their level.

"Once we bring these losers to Garmadon, then not only will I get to keep my title, but I'll go down in history as the man who singlehandedly brought Ninjago City to its knees! Then think of all the things Lord Garmadon will reward me!" General #1 cackled like a lunatic but got interrupted.

The 'Unikitty & Friends: Cloud Cuckoo Magic' theme song started playing from out of nowhere. Turns out it was General #1's lphone.

"Who would bring their own phone to a battle?" Lloyd questioned his opponent's logic to the ninja.

The Shark Army leader fumbled with his phone a bit and answered.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Lord Garmadon's voice hollered from the device, "You were supposed to be back at the volcano lair fifteen minutes ago!"

"S-sorry sir! We got caught up with a bunch of creeps dressed up as ninja and -"

"Wait a minute… did you say… ninja…?" Garmadon interrupted, growing suspicious...

"Why are we gawking like idiots when the Shark Army's open!? This is our last chance!" Kai rallied the others to take advantage of this moment that many heroes miss too often.

"No! We can't afford you doing anything reckless!" The others pleaded him and held him back.

"The ninja are here! See?" General #1 pointed the screen of his phone at the ninja before they could attack again.

"Looks like the cat's out of the bag," Garmadon sneered, "I'm not surprised the old creep has such low expectations. Look at those losers..."

"Who are you calling losers!?" The girl in pink heard his insults and wasn't happy about it.

For some reason, the ninja in green looked more uncomfortable than the others but that was little of the warlord's concern.

"Anyway, you're still late General #1! Get back to the volcano lair! NOW!" The dark lord barked.

"But what about -"

"I have plenty of time to deal with them later! Now get going!"

"This won't be the last you hear of us!" The Shark Army threatened before diving back into the waters and start swimming back to the volcano lair.

"Get back here!" The ninja in red and silver briefly chased after the Shark Army but it was no use.

"It's no use," The muscular black ninja held them back, "We wouldn't have stood a chance anyway."

"But what about Garmadon?" The girl in orange asked.

"We'll have to face Garmadon sooner or later. Just be grateful we're still in one piece." The green ninja helped the others up.

The ninja wanted this day to be over with but too bad that there were cameras amidst the hordes of people who saw it all...

* * *

The ninja returned all battered and bruised but not as bad as Cole had been the other day.

"That was… I don't know how to describe it..." Lloyd sighed.

"It's something. That's all that matters." Nya replied flatly.

The ninja were surprised to not find any hints of disappointment on their teacher's wrinkly face.

"Master Wu… you aren't… disappointed… are you…?" Jay asked nervously, earning him a punch on the shoulder by Kai.

"I didn't have much expectations from you all," Master Wu told his students, "You had to face the true challenges of a ninja sooner or later. You can't get everything done on the first try."

"We're sorry..."

"Never apologize for making mistakes. That is all part of learning."

"But what about Garmadon?"

"For now, the citizen are safe once more, though I doubt this moment of tranquility won't last as long as the peaceful moments we've had until now."

The ninja and kunoichi still weren't sure where their new lives will take them. All they knew was that now, it's too late to turn back...

* * *

While getting ready for school, Lloyd noticed his mother reading just one article in the newspaper and nothing else, skimming through it over and over again.

"Uh… Mom…?" He approached her.

"What is it, Lloyd?" She looked at him as if nothing was wrong but there was something about the way her eyes betrayed her benevolent expression. She was smiling on the outside but not from the inside.

"Mom, are you… feeling well?" Lloyd asked.

"Of course I am, sweetie," Koko kissed her son's cheek, "Are you all ready for school?"

"Yeah, but..."

"What is it? Is something bothering you?"

Lloyd still didn't want to keep secrets from his mother but he also feared how she'll react if he tells her that he's a ninja…

"No," He lied, "I was just curious."

"Oh… then have a good day at school and stay safe."

"I'll try."

Once her son was gone, Koko's eyes went right back to the article she's been repeatedly reading.

The title 'Rise of the Ninja' in bold print caught her attention and she couldn't concentrate on anything else. It's been many years since she gave up the life of a warrior and this was the first time her former husband has been opposed and it wasn't because of her… or anyone she knows.

Yet she knew such a day will come.

She remembered her brother-in-law telling her of his plan to form a team of ninja to oppose the man she once loved and the possibility of Lloyd joining.

Could he be one of the ninja?

Koko didn't want to jump to conclusions with little to no evidence. Besides, she wants her son to make his own choices and have full control of how he'll end up being. She vowed to support Lloyd no matter who he is and gave him the benefit of the doubt for now.

Lloyd must know who he truly is before anyone else...

* * *

It almost felt surreal for Lloyd and his teammates to see their classmates talking about their personas without having no idea that they were looking right at them and even knew them the whole time.

"Did you see the news?"

"You sure this isn't some made-up tabloid story?"

"That kind of stuff hasn't happened in years!"

"I don't know. Maybe they're a bunch of phonies looking for their fifteen minutes of fame."

The ninja had no idea how to feel hearing everyone at school gossip about them, not knowing that the group of strange vigilantes have been living amongst them the whole time. Lloyd knew he'll be more readily accepted as a ninja and not as himself but now that he's experiencing it for real, he still wasn't sure how to feel.

"I wonder when they'll show up again..."

"You think they might have what it takes to get rid of Garmadon?"

"I don't care as long as they can also kick Lloyd out of Ninjago."

Lloyd cringed at how the other teens were talking about how they want him to get kicked out by what was really him the whole time.

"The world has only seen the ninja once. We don't know when or if they'll show up again." Lloyd said, feeling even more uneasy talking about himself like a completely different person.

"Oh yeah? We'll see who's talking once the ninja come and kick your ass!" Chen said accusingly.

The green ninja wondered if he should take Chen's remark as a compliment or an insult…

Probably an insult.

* * *

Heather tried concentrating in math class but whispers about the ninja kept distracting her. They just won't stop nagging about the ninja and when they'll show up again and the like. Not even Ms. Turner couldn't get them to shut up.

'I swear, if they say anything one more time...' She gritted her teeth.

"Heather, do you think you can help me with this problem?" One of her classmates whispered.

"Oh my god! Can't you get off my back for one second!?" The flower-loving girl finally exploded.

"Heather Stuart…!" Ms. Turner gasped at her normally polite student's random outburst.

Heather's freckles were quickly obscured by her embarrassed blush and she quickly sat down.

This will be a long day…

* * *

Luna and Cole hoped to find some solace away from the gossip about the ninja at today's music club meeting. Too bad hope only leads to disappointment.

"What if we create songs inspired by the ninja?" The club members suggested.

"You sure about that? We still don't know anything about the ninja." Cole pointed out, while mentally cringing upon talking about himself like he and the earth ninja were not one and the same.

"But everyone's talking about them and we must give the audience what they want!"

"Don't you think it'll be better to just wait and see if we can learn more about them?" Luna asked, "If the audience really wants something with them, they might have to know more about them too."

"Fine..."

The earth ninja and kunoichi let out a tiny sigh of relief.

They might not be so lucky next time...

* * *

For once, Zane might be thankful that there's no one interested in joining the audiovisual club.

The android was playing various action movies to observe more martial arts techniques and see if he can incorporate them into his training. If there were any other people here, they would talk nonstop about the ninja and he didn't think he would like that.

Not only that but Zane can finally be alone with his thoughts, away from any interference.

'I am the white ninja of ice.' That phrase still felt so strange to him.

He attended Ninjago High and dwelled in Ninjago City to prove that outside of his physical makeup, he was no different from humans. But he was a ninja, something that will set him even further apart from the people who already see him as too different.

Is there really such a thing as 'too different'?

Every person was different, from his classmates to even his fellow ninja.

And if he wanted to be seen as the same, why did he join the Secret Ninja Force?

' _I built you to protect others who can't protect themselves...'_

His father's words echoed in his cranium.

Zane genuinely wanted to watch out for others and even make them smile. He might be able to do so as a ninja but at a price. He didn't know if he should follow his duty or desires.

Could being a ninja give him both?

As a ninja, he already took his vow to protect Ninjago City seriously and at the same time, he will also be adored by humans. However, they only like his persona and some aspects of him, not himself as a whole. He wanted to be seen as the very same and he still couldn't get that.

Is it selfish of him to want more?

Humans always keep wanting more and if that makes him similar, is that good or bad?

Zane's questions were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in." He beckoned them after turning off the movie.

Turns out it was Jay.

"Zane, school's almost over," The lightning ninja told him, "We should get going."

Zane had to set his questions aside and follow his teammate.

One day, he'll find the answers…

* * *

 **Okay, NOW this story's gonna get to the good stuff! The next couple of chapters will explore more into how the ninja & kunoichi feel about becoming celebrities & we'll see some good ol' Ninjago shenanigans that the movie was bad enough to miss. For now, review.**


	28. The Show Must Go On

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Now that everyone knows of the ninja, we'll discover more of the their reactions to becoming overnight celebrities plus we'll see what's going on with Koko & a surprise ending. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 27: The Show Must Go On

Being a shy boy, Jay often had trouble getting through a day at school without turning into a nervous wreck. Too bad he's a ninja and with the Secret Ninja Force revealed to the public, it just got worse for the poor guy. He wasn't really one for being the center of attention and with almost everyone talking about nothing but the ninja, he was sure he wouldn't survive by the end of the day.

Jay cowered in one of the bathroom stalls and would stay there in between classes. He didn't have to worry about being found in here since he's already unpopular.

"Jay. Come on out." Someone beckoned him and the lightning ninja recognized the voice as Cole's.

"There's no one around, is there?" The timid boy asked.

"Don't worry. It's just us." Cole reassured him.

Jay slowly opened the stall and was relieved the earth ninja was being truthful.

"Sorry, it's just so hard trying to get through the day with everyone talking about ninja." He spoke.

"I know how tough it can be. Believe me, I really want to punch those idiots if they say anything about the ninja one more time." Cole cracked his knuckles.

"M-me too…!" Jay replied, trying to sound cool.

The earth ninja raised a bushy eyebrow at his teammate's response. Being a ninja meant becoming an individual, not try to be like someone else.

"We can talk about this somewhere else. We're gonna be late." Cole goaded Jay out of the bathroom.

As Jay followed him, he felt something but not for the first time.

Jay felt that same dark feeling in the pit of his stomach again. Every time Cole tried to help him or he saw the earth ninja helping others, the shy ninja felt a desire to emulate him. However, these feelings didn't stem from admiration alone. For some reason, Jay felt that it wasn't fair. Cole was popular and everyone went to him for advice while Jay was usually ignored or picked on for being different.

'What is it that Cole has that I don't?'

Jay was aware that for starters, Cole was more easily accepted by the cool kids than him.

Cole was definitely better looking than Jay but it felt so unfair that other teenagers flock to him and all the more attractive guys and finding value only in their looks. Jay was smart and could also help others but no one would even think about approaching him just because he didn't fit their definition of cool. Jay also tried so hard to fit in with the cool guys while Cole already did with little effort. If the lightning ninja didn't know better, Cole probably had everything handed to him.

Then again, Jay still didn't know a whole lot about Cole.

The earth ninja might also be stressed by all the ninja gossip and it wasn't just Jay who was getting so worked up about it. The others are probably struggling too, especially Lloyd, which was probably why the rest of the ninja didn't speak to him at school today. That still didn't erase the resentment slowly growing in Jay's heart.

'It's still not fair...'

* * *

Nya thought she would like the fame and recognition but she found herself more annoyed than proud. The way her classmates jumped to conclusions and coming up with outlandish theories regarding the true identities of the ninja irked her. The other teens were already acting like a bunch of zealots.

"Oh yeah! They're awesome!" Her brother's bragged right next to her.

The fire ninja was surrounded by classmates and he won't stop talking about nothing but the ninja. He remained oblivious to his sister's growing exasperation and continued pandering to the fans and their cringe-worthy theories.

"I wonder if they know how to do all those cool stuff like disappearing in a poof of smoke!"

"Or make a whole bunch of clones! That would be awesome!"

The questions and theories kept coming and the Hinata brother was all too willing to answer.

"Yeah! Those ninja will definitely kick Garmadon's ass!" Kai boasted. His sister was convinced he was really bragging about himself. He would never miss any opportunity to boost his ego.

Nya rolled her eyes at her brother's arrogance. It didn't surprise her that he would brag about himself at any given opportunity. He had a bad habit of doing such even before joining the Secret Ninja Force. With their personas now on the headline on every type of media, his already massive ego already got much worse.

"Maybe I'll get some pictures of the ninja for you!" Kai winked at the schoolgirls, who squealed under his fiery charisma, aggravating his sister even more.

School was finally over and Nya didn't hesitate to get the hell out of there, dragging Kai with her.

"Hey! Sis! I was gonna be popular! Why do you keep ruining it for me!?" The fire ninja complained.

"I swear, Kai. You're gonna be the death of me one day." The kunoichi of water gritted her teeth.

"I thought you'd like being a ninja too! You always said you wanted to be just like Lady Iron Dragon!"

"That was before I knew what we were getting ourselves into! All the shit that's been going made me cringe so many times I'm gonna look like I just saw the Emoji Movie for the rest of my life!"

"Since when did you care about your looks!?"

"This isn't about appearances!"

"Then what's it about!?"

"Kai, when we became ninja, what did you think that would've meant for you?" The kunoichi of water narrowed her eyes at her annoying brother.

"...Ultimate power…?" The fire ninja answered with a dopey expression plastered on his face.

The siblings stared at each other silently for a while, Nya with annoyance and Kai with confusion.

"That's what the bad guys are supposed to say!" She shoved him aside and marched homeward.

"What? So _I'm_ the bad guy, now!?" Her appalled brother asked.

"It's like trying to talk to a fish." Nya grumbled and fastened her pace.

"Wait! I'm not a -! Sis! Wait up!" Kai imitated his sister but she only sped up her gait until she was now darting through the streets of Ninjago City like a marathon runner.

"Nya! What's up?" Heather joined her friend from out of nowhere, somehow able to follow her pace.

"Just living out the daily woes of having a brother," Nya answered flatly, "Also, why are _you_ running?"

"It's good for my heart." The kunoichi of nature shrugged.

"How are you dealing with all the idiocy that is school?"

"It's really stressful. I almost got in trouble for blowing up already."

"You always had a bit of a temper."

"Funny of you to say that."

The girls suddenly stopped but Kai kept running but not for long. The fire ninja ran face first onto the front door of the Hinata residence. Ray and Maya answered only to find their son lying on the ground in between Nya and Heather.

"I'll see you later." Heather parted ways with the Hinata siblings.

The Hinata couple knew better not to question their children's quirky antics and helped their daughter drag her brother back into the house.

* * *

Karloff never saw Iris looking so uneasy when he picked her up from school.

"Iris, did something happen in school?"

"Uncle… you haven't heard of it, have you…?"

"Heard of what?"

"It's all over the news. Everyone in Ninjago City's talking about… well..."

"The ninja? Oh yeah, I saw it on the news at work."

The kunoichi of metal gulped nervously, fearing her uncle might suspect something. She was gone at the same time the ninja showed up for the first time and Karloff might add up the clues…

"Everyone at work had a bunch of opinions of them, such as if they'll be capable of kicking Garmadon out of Ninjago or they're just a bunch of brats wanting fame. What do _you_ think?" Karloff asked her.

Iris felt tempted to tell the truth but she swore an oath.

"They were only here for one day. I think it's too early to judge." She answered, feeling uneasy.

"I understand," Karloff responded, "No one even knows where they came from. Time will tell if they'll be able to protect Ninjago from Garmadon."

The pink kunoichi fell silent for the rest of the way home. It seems like her uncle still doesn't suspect her to have any relation to those vigilantes. But Iris knew Karloff better than anyone else, including the fact that he's much smarter than he lets on. He would probably be the first person to glue the pieces together and might reveal the ninja's true identities.

But if Karloff knew she was one of the ninja, will he do such a thing?

Iris trusted Karloff more than anyone else for much of her life but if he can't trust her…

Iris shook the negative thoughts out of her head. Karloff was her one and only family. There's no way she'll sabotage something so important to her. She just needs to play it cool and her life as a kunoichi separate from her home life just like she does with school work and she does that all the time. This is gonna be a piece of cake.

'Okay, Iris,' She calmed herself with a couple of deep breaths, 'Just play it safe. You got this.'

Iris was soon reassured that things will turn out fine...

* * *

All Aria saw on the TVs in Ninjago City were coverage of the ninja. As nerve-wracking as it is having all eyes and ears on her, it was also kinda exhilarating having people talk about the ninja while having no idea one of them was right here all along. Like her teammates, the orange kunoichi was very nervous at school but she now had that out of her system… most of it actually.

What Aria was more worried about was how people might react if they ever find the true identities of the ninja, especially her parents. They weren't bad parents but that didn't stop her from fretting over how they'll take it. She knew they were concerned over her capricious ways and finding out their own child was a vigilante will no doubt disappoint them. She didn't hate them but she had her doubts that they'll truly accept her if she finds her own life's calling and it turns out it won't be something they'll ever approve of.

But is being a vigilante what she's meant to be?

Being a kunoichi was definitely different from everything she's done up to this point. She may have yet to figure out if it's the path she wants to take and if it's something she can follow through with.

'Come on, Aria. This isn't a game. You gotta focus.' She mentally scolded herself and then regretted it.

It was ironic that every time she told herself to focus, it only made it harder for her.

Aria caught an unnatural face amongst the crowds and there was no mistaking that person.

"Zane?" The kunoichi of wind quickly caught up with her teammate.

"Aria! It is a pleasant surprise to see you here." Zane greeted her.

"Why are you here and where are you going?"

"I am heading to my job."

"Wait a sec. You have a job?"

"Yes. I work at The Petite Corner Cafe. You can come if you want."

"Great. Now even _Zane_ knows what to do with his life..."

"Do not be like that, Aria. Why not come over to the cafe and have a light meal?"

"Nah, I'm good." Aria declined the android's offer despite being tempted to visit the cafe.

"You are free to come whenever you like. I look forward to seeing you again at the hideout." Zane said as the parted ways.

It was only until she was close to her home did Aria begin to feel the pangs of hunger wrack her body. She also remembered just now that her parents won't have much time to cook tonight and there was nothing in the house she felt like eating. If she accepted Zane's offer, she wouldn't be forced to starve.

There were times she wished she was more decisive and right now was one of those moments.

* * *

The ninja returned to the hideout for another day of training. All of them looked burned out from all the gossip they faced at Ninjago High.

"Man… that has got to be _the_ worst day of school in my entire life..." Iris sighed.

"Welcome to my world." Lloyd deadpanned.

"We all knew this was going to happen one day," Nya said, "Let's just put it all behind us and focus."

"Is it just me or am I the only one who's liking all the attention?" Kai admitted.

The other ninja turned their heads slowly and glared at him, sans the ever oblivious Zane, who simply wore his trademark unnatural smile on his face.

"It's just you." They all said simultaneously.

"You all knew this day would come," An elderly voice told them, "One can't always predict their own feelings over something so life-changing until it comes to pass."

"Master Wu..."

"Fame and admiration doesn't make a hero. The path to finding your true selves have only just begun. There will be far greater matters to be concerned about. In the meantime, resume your training." The wise mentor told his pupils.

"But what about the gossip and news? Doesn't that concern you at all?" Aria asked.

"I have expected such but you swore an oath and one day, your opinions of this may change..."

"And Garmadon?"

"I am prepared for what comes after this. There is nothing wrong with asking questions but there are far more important things than the opinions of others. Staying focused is key to becoming true ninja."

Kai and Lloyd spared with each other to start developing their own style of swordsmanship. Using two katana, Kai focused primarily on offense and tried getting accustomed to fighting with both blades at the same time. As for Lloyd, he had just his sword but no shield like Iris. He tried to find a balance with both offense and defense.

Kai kept charging at his opponent with everything he had. Lloyd switched between dodging the katana and striking back out of self-defense.

"Not bad," Kai commended his friend's skill with a sword, "You actually improved a lot since this whole ninja stuff started."

Lloyd felt his face heat up by Kai's words. He still had no idea how to react to any compliments.

"You're just saying that..." He rebuffed the fire ninja's remark.

"Why would I ever 'just say that'!? Did I ever lie to you!?" Kai looked appalled by Lloyd's cynicism.

"Remember all those times you said people would come to my birthday parties?"

The duo had a brief flashback of the outcast's birthdays over the years. At every single one, it was just them, Nya, and their parents… except Garmadon of course.

"Believing in something and lying are two completely different things!" The fire ninja refuted, his face red with either anger, embarrassment, or even both.

"Yeah… Sure..." Lloyd dismissed him.

Lloyd continued making progress on his mech, which was finally starting to come together. The basic foundation was almost done and even had the vague form of the dragon in his blueprints. Working on one mech was already hard work but he wondered if the other ninja had ideas for their own mechs.

"Lloyd!" Kai called out to his friend.

Lloyd flinched but was thankful his hands weren't on his mech or any tools or else there will be blood.

"What now, Kai?" He clenched his teeth to show his annoyance.

"I've been thinking about the mech stuff lately and..." Kai trailed off.

"And what?" The green ninja wasn't in the best mood but was willing to hear his friend out.

"I've been having some ideas for my own mech."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Since I'm the fire ninja, I was thinking about having a couple of cool flamethrowers and look like one of those gundoms from the anime..." The fire ninja went on about what he wanted for his mech.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kai," Lloyd interrupted his childhood friend's rambling, "Building mechs isn't easy, even if it's something you enjoy."

"You sure you can do it alone? If we all want a mech, that'll make ten of them."

"It's gonna be a challenge but I don't mind doing something I like."

"Why not let us lend a hand? At least Jay and Nya know a thing or two about machines. Just don't tell them I said that."

"Kai, I really appreciate the offers but I would _really_ like to have some time alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure." Lloyd's voice was slightly louder, a sign his patience was reaching its limit.

Kai was really aware of the stress Lloyd was going through with all the shit he and everyone else were facing in school. It was bad enough for the poor guy to be stuck on the bottom of the social ladder but with everyone talking about nothing but ninja, he can't imagine what's going on in Lloyd's head.

The fire ninja may have enjoyed the attention the ninjas' new lives have given them but that doesn't mean he didn't understand them. Like Cole, Kai always sought to help those in need. He felt a strong need to ensure that everyone he cared about were safe and he would do anything to keep it that way. But he also felt a desire to have any kind of recognition for it. He wasn't sure where it came from. All he knew was that he had a genuine urge to protect others but also a need for validation.

Perhaps being a ninja can give him the best of both worlds.

* * *

Garmadon paced in circles in his office, thinking of ways to deal with the ninja. It seems that Wu was true to his word for once. From what his now fired general said, their skills in battle were mediocre at best so he'll still be able to take over Ninjago unopposed.

So why was he so worked up about them?

He saved the footage the last General #1 showed him before and what he saw wasn't impressive at all. The ninja looked like a bunch of angsty teens in bad costumes. He had no competition.

'Yet I can't get that face out of my head...' Garmadon replayed the shoddy clip again, focusing on only one of those clumsy bozos.

He can't help but constantly think about the behavior of the ninja in green. Those fierce emerald orbs were frighteningly familiar. It was like he looked at those same green eyes many years ago…

Yes. He was starting to remember. Those memories he buried deep in his psyche many years ago…

Now he remembered!

Those were the same eye color as that guy who worked at his favorite pizza place a long time ago!

He _really_ needs to get back in touch with the people in his life… sans his parents' son… and one more person… whose name can only be Luh-Loyd.

* * *

Saturday was definitely Lloyd's favorite day of the week. It was the only day where he can completely forget about school and not have to go outside, as geeky as it sounds. At home, there was his mother and no one else to judge him.

Lloyd's eyes were on another elaborate opening to the latest installment of the Gundom series while Koko was content to just see her son not worrying about shallow bullies.

'But will the ninja show up again…?' A part of her psyche asked herself.

Thoughts and questions about the ninja plagued her mind ever since she read that article, as much as she tried to focus on other subjects that were far more important. Maybe a bit of fresh air is what she needs to calm her nerves.

"Lloyd, I'm going to go run some errands. Would you like something?" Koko wanted to make sure her only child will be okay by himself.

"Nah, I'm good." Lloyd responded from the sofa.

"I'll be back soon."

* * *

Lloyd thought he was the only person who was hated by everyone in Ninjago but he was wrong. Koko hadn't been able to go outside without at least some people glaring at her since her divorce. Her past constantly followed her wherever she goes, no matter how much effort she makes to put the mistakes she made behind her.

"Well if it isn't Mrs. Garmadon."

"You think you can just crawl back to Ninjago after being a sellout?"

The mean stares and mockery from everyone still can't erase Koko's thoughts about the ninja.

'Could Lloyd have some relation with the ninja? And what will happen if they do drive Garmadon away from Ninjago for good?'

The former warrior can't know the answers to her questions. It wasn't good trying to seek answers in such a foolhardy manner. She had the fresh air she sought out but no answers. There was nothing she can do but wait. Besides, the only person who needed her right now was Lloyd.

Even if her son didn't want anything, Koko thought a little treat could cheer him up after yet another dreadful week at school. While waiting in line to buy some of Lloyd's favorite sour candy, she caught a certain someone snooping around in the streets. Koko completely forgot about her errand and went out to get a closer look. There's no mistaking that complexion and the bulges in their coat.

The stranger quickly realized they was being followed and turned around, giving away their identity.

Koko felt her heart stop and the blood completely drain from her face. She wasn't expecting to see the person again nor did she ever want to.

'Garmadon…?'

* * *

 **And cue the ominous music!**

 **It's been years & we'll see how the divorce affected Garmadon & Koko's relationship. Now I'm off to watch the Olympics closing ceremony but don't forget to leave a review!**


	29. The Name's Lloyd

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Yeah, this chapter's gonna be a short one but there's going to be plenty of drama between Garmadon & Koko & some interactions from some of the original ninja/kunoichi pairs. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 28: The Name's Lloyd

Time seemed to stop for two people who have met after so many years apart.

"...Garmadon…?" Koko gasped when she saw the face of the strange fellow.

There was no way anyone else in Ninjago could have completely black flesh and glowing red eyes. He even stood taller than every other man in Ninjago City with his longer torso to support his second pair of arms that were still hidden in his coat.

"...Koko…?" The dark lord seemed just as shocked to see his former spouse. Time was surprisingly kind to the woman who was once known as the fearsome Lady Iron Dragon.

Koko grabbed the neckline of her ex-husband's coat and dragged him into a secluded corner of the city where they'll have little chance of being spotted.

"Koko, what are you doing?" The dark lord asked his ex-wife after she let go of his clothing. Garmadon let the coat fall away, revealing all four arms to the world.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Her face was stoic but her voice shook with a medley of emotions from relief to regret.

"It's been… let me count..." Garmadon paused to count on his twenty fingers, "...Almost fifteen years! It's been fifteen years since you left!"

Koko fell silent, unsure of what to say, even if there was so much she wanted to confess. She just can't find her voice.

"So Koko… How have you been?" Garmadon finally asked.

The former warrior was appalled by her former husband's reaction to seeing her again after so many years. There was so many feelings both of them were going through and they probably suffered a lot but the first thing he could say was a casual question. With their son's self-worth hanging on a thread, Koko was beyond outraged.

"How I've been?" Koko glowered, " _How I've been_!? We have been divorced for over ten years and you never bothered to check on our son even _once_! And all you can say is 'How have you been'!?"

"I have a lot on my plate! It's not like I could cancel my plans for world domination on a whim just so I can see you again for only one day! We only just met to boot! I didn't have any time to come up with a more elaborate response!"

"You had fifteen years to think up of one!"

"So what do you want me to do!? Give up on _my_ hopes and dreams for _yours_!? I should've known you were really a selfish attention whore! You just had to sink your claws into me and sabotage my plan for world domination! _That's_ what you were really after, wasn't it!?"

"No! I wouldn't have thought things were going to end up like this!"

"Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"What makes you think I'm forgetting anything? We had each other and we were happy! We had it all until _you_ left! We had power! We had what it takes to rule Ninjago together! Both of us!"

"What about our son!?"

Garmadon was rendered speechless and the memories came flooding back. He had been with his son for such a short time but it was one of his happiest. He could never forget, no matter how much effort he made on burying the past.

"You mean Luh-Loyd?" He gasped.

"Yes! And it's _Lloyd_!" Koko corrected him, even more outraged that he didn't seem to remember their one and only child.

"Why would you care? You were the one who gets to be with him! Not me!"

"Your reputation is destroying his social life! Everyone hates him because of your evil schemes! Is that what you want for your child!?"

"I thought I had everything. I had someone who loved me, regardless of my ambitions. I had a child, a legacy, and you took it all away from me. You didn't let me be there for him! How would I have known how his life was going?"

"If you wanted to see him so badly, why didn't you go see him yourself!?"

"So what do you want me to do!? Drop everything so _you_ could have everything _you_ want!?"

Garmadon and Koko's argument ended up grabbing the attention of everyone in their vicinity but they didn't care that people were watching them in what was pretty much a real life soap opera.

"Forget about me! What about _Lloyd_!? The least you could've done was pretend to care yet that's still too much for you!"

"So first you take him away and then you expect me to go to him like nothing's wrong!? You're the last person who has any right to say that to me! Even _Wu_ has more right to say it than you!"

There was so much more Koko wanted to say but seeing the man Garmadon is now, she couldn't find a reason to keep going. The former warrior walked several paces before pausing. She turned to send a glance at Garmadon's direction, her expression a somber combination of anger and despair.

"Perhaps leaving you really was no mistake." Koko confessed and left without another word or another backward glance.

Garmadon was at a loss over what to do. His wife now hated him and it was because of his desires to take over Ninjago that his son's life was anything but happy. The cruel irony of his wife's actions have haunted her while he lived out his life as he planned.

Garmadon felt searing heat in his eyes. It's been eons since those flames have seen the light of day. He was overwhelmed by so many emotions, thoughts, and feelings, all of them conjuring a tempest in his mind. He didn't know how to react or if he should react at all.

Onlookers didn't dare to move or say anything lest they incur the dark lord's wrath. The way he stood there without moving a single muscle somehow made him more foreboding than he was whenever he attempted to conquer Ninjago. Garmadon was aware he was being watched but for once, he couldn't bring himself to care. Everyone flinched when he turned and much to their surprise, he did started to walk away without giving the slightest bit of attention to everyone watching him.

'No. I wanted to be a father. I wanted to be there for our son. It's all Koko's fault for leaving in the first place. I will take over Ninjago… so I can have it all back.'

* * *

Iris returned to her uncle's apartment after today's training session. So far, Karloff seemed to trust her and had yet to have any speculations on what she's really doing instead of those 'group projects'. Just because being intelligent doesn't mean a person will be all-knowing. She remained calm and became more confident that the ninja's secret will be safe from him.

"Uncle, I'm -" Iris' voice caught in her throat when she saw Karloff talking to someone on the phone.

Karloff always had a surly expression but the burly man wore an even deeper frown, giving his niece a hunch on who he's talking to.

"She's doing fine in school." He said, expressing little emotion.

Iris didn't even want to guess what the response to Karloff's answer was.

"We know Garmadon's not one to give up so easily… No, Iris hasn't gotten into any trouble… She's also healthy, not a burden at all..."

The conversation went on for a few minutes but the violet-eyed girl refused to say a word, not wanting to grab the attention of the person her uncle was talking to.

"I'll keep my eye on her… Goodbye..."

Once his conversation ended, Karloff faced his niece, whom he knew had arrived while he was talking.

"You don't have to look so glum," The burly man was also aware that she knew what he had spoken of just before, "Being in a bad mood on an empty stomach won't do you any good. I'll go and get started on making dinner."

Karloff and Iris watched the TV while eating like they do everyday. Tonight, the relatives watched the news while eating pelmeni. Nowadays, it seems the only thing the reporters and journalists have ever talked about were the ninja, who they could be, and where they could be hiding.

Iris chewed each pelmeni at a sluggish pace and was barely halfway done after Karloff polished off his plate. He started to grow suspicious over her strange behavior as of late. His niece became even more uncomfortable once she caught him staring at her.

"Iris..."

The kunoichi of metal flinched, not wanting to respond out of fear that her uncle might find out about the Secret Ninja Force.

"Is this about that phone call?" He didn't ask the question she feared he would.

Iris had a mental sigh of relief but Karloff's question opened a different can of worms.

"Uncle… will we have to… separate…?"

"I… don't know… Try not to think too much of it."

"I try… I just don't want things to be as they were..."

"I know how much you like living in the city. I'll do what I can to make things work out."

Iris was grateful to have an uncle like Karloff and felt reassured that things will work out...

* * *

Due to having part-time jobs, Heather and Zane didn't have as much time to socialize as the rest of the Secret Ninja Force so whenever they had the chance to loosen up, they did, even if the latter still can't comprehend why people say it that. He never saw anyone holding onto something every time they say that statement.

"How are things going at the cafe?" Heather asked.

"The owner says the business is small but stable. He claims he might allow me a chance to cook in the kitchen if I maintain a good performance of my duties."

"Jay told me that you're a great cook. I'm actually looking forward to trying your cooking."

"You may not have to wait so long to try it. I can prepare some food so you and the other ninja could have something to eat during our breaks."

"You don't really have to… It's probably already a burden handling a part-time job and being a ninja."

"Do not worry. My robotic capabilities may grant me the stamina required to perform these tasks."

"I thought you don't like being seen as different because you're a robot."

Zane was surprised by his own words. He knew he will always be set apart from every other person in Ninjago for being an android. Never before did he ever thought about using that type of difference to sate his need to help others. He didn't want to dwell on the idea anymore and with Heather around, he remembered a new thought he had recently.

"I have considered getting another flower for reasons I have yet to comprehend." Zane tried changing the subject.

"Oh? Do you consider returning to Blossoming Memories?" Heather was surprised by his response.

"Perhaps I am..."

No words were exchanged between the duo for several moments. It was only quite recently that they began to really spend any time together. The robot and the human barely scratched the surface of the potential they could have as a pair.

"Some say all I ever think or even talk about are flowers. A part of me fears that is true..." The kunoichi of nature confessed.

"Why do you fear so?" Zane was curious to why Heather seemed to fear herself.

"Before thoughts of what else I can do first came up, which was recent, I was just living my life without any sense of purpose. I guess I was going with the flow but as a mindless creature. Only after I joined you guys did I start to have this feeling that there might be something more within me. I really want to find out if there's something more I can do, something more meaningful than growing flowers.

"Would knowing more about you make things better?"

"What…?"

"I have come to the conclusion that people believe you only think about flowers because they do not know you well, similar to how they view Lloyd being like his father because they know little about him. Through that, you actually bear something in common with him."

"I wouldn't say it like that… At least I'm not hated by everyone..."

"People hate you?"

"It's to be expected in such a judgemental place like high school. No one can have absolutely everyone liking them. Everyone has their own opinions. It's just that teens can be real assholes about it."

"I have also experienced discrimination in Ninjago High because of who I am. It is the most unpleasant experience in my life… That is if I can be considered… alive..."

"Zane, stop being so hard on yourself. You already make efforts to be seen and treated just like us, just like humans. You always express that desire and do what you can to prove you're not different from us besides your physical makeup. That's what makes you unique. Hell, _all_ of us are unique."

"You are right. With you and the ninja, I feel a sense of… security… It is something I felt only with my father and I assumed he would be the only person who could make me feel like I belong. I still remain unsure if anyone else can make me feel truly accepted.

It was ironic that a girl like Heather, who adores flowers, would end up feeling something completely new to her because of Zane, an inorganic humanoid. Some people say opposites attract but she can't know for certain if there's something special between her and Zane.

Out of all his teammates, Zane felt more comfortable with Heather. He wanted to discover the reason for his feelings around her.

Was it their differences that drew them together?

It's too early to assume there was something very special or unique between himself and Heather. The humanoid ninja still had so much to learn and those answers may have to wait. Yet the android found himself more content with it that way.

Only by learning can he truly become his own person...

* * *

It was time for the ninja's break in their training. As usual, Lloyd was working on his mechs but today saw a small change of pace for him.

"Lloyd, you mind checking these out?" Nya showed the green ninja rough sketches for the designs she had come up with so far. The green-eyed teen peered at the kunoichi of water's drawings. Most of the designs reminded him of a spider and he started to wonder if his friend had some secret interests…

"I'll save these for later." He politely dismissed the tenacious girl's suggestions.

Joining the kunoichi of water was Jay, who was no stranger to working with machines.

"I'm surprised by how well this dragon thing is coming." Jay inspected the work Lloyd had done so far.

"We could help if you want." The silver kunoichi offered.

"You do know what you're getting yourselves into, right?"

"We're in the auto club together and I'm from a family of inventors. I'm not one to toot my own horn but I know a thing or two about building stuff." Jay boasted, which didn't happen very often.

"If we're gonna have ten mechs… I don't think I'll be able to do all that on my own..."

"Of course you can't. That's why we offered in the first place." The kunoichi of water said.

"Fine," The green ninja relented, "Just make sure you know what you're doing."

"Got it." Jay leaned back on one of the cabinets… and all the tools came crashing down on him.

If these two were going to help Lloyd… the green ninja was not as impressed as they hoped...

* * *

Kai enjoyed training with his katana but doing nothing but train might be counterproductive. As much as he wanted to keep practicing his fighting style, his body started to tire. It's a good thing Master Wu lets his students have breaks in between their daily training sessions. The fire ninja didn't complain as long as he didn't get bored.

Zane and Luna went to feed the dog that was now named Varjo and Cole went back to his own world filled with loud music. Heather and Iris were already chatting with one another and Kai didn't want to be the only guy in their conversation.

Wu sat at the far end of the hideout, meditating and drinking tea. Yeah. Hanging out with and old man will be a lot of fun and send family-friendly messages to kids.

That left him with only one other person to hang out with...

"Aria..." Kai coolly acknowledged the only person left for him to spend today's break with.

"Kai..." Aria was just as stoic in turn.

Even if they only really interacted a few times, most of them ended up with them having an argument. Any hopes of them getting along seemed to be quickly going down the drain.

"So… I guess it's just the two of us..." The fire ninja shrugged sheepishly.

"You probably have better things to do than be around someone like me." The orange kunoichi said.

While they had yet to get along, Kai and Aria still didn't know a whole lot about one another. They did know of some of their quirks but not each other as a whole. Yet in some strange way, they grew more curious and wanted to learn more.

"Let me ask you this… What made you think becoming a kunoichi would be a good idea?" Kai was the first to pop the question.

"I… W-why would you want to know…?" Aria pouted.

"Nya sometimes tells me about her friends, including you. Now that we've met, we might as well have to get used to seeing each other a lot..."

"That's the best you could come up with?"

"You could say that..."

Aria reflected on her own capriciousness and the day she made that fateful decision.

"I'm guessing Nya told you how I switch between all those clubs at school..."

"Yeah…?"

"None of them ever made me feel that it was what I was meant for. I like to think there's something I could do that no other person could, like I'm someone who's not like any other, someone unique."

"You think being just like a bunch of other teens will make you unique?"

"N-not that way! I meant something more like being in charge of my own life and finding out why I'm here. That's why I joined all those clubs. Too bad none of them seemed right for me. I joined you guys so I could find out if that will make me feel like I have some kind of purpose..."

"So you think this is all just another game?"

"N-no..."

Kai had trouble believing his teammate with the way she averted her eyes from him and pouted. They have interacted before, given that Aria was Nya's friend, but the more time they spent, the less likely it was for them to be able to get along. They didn't want to admit it but they didn't really like it.

"If you wanted me to tell you why I joined the ninja, I should be asking you the same in return."

Kai's mind drifted back to his childhood. Memories of listening to his parents' telling of their deeds in the Warring Era to learning to use a katana at Ronin's Kendo School. He also remembered Lloyd being bullied by everyone and how his blood boiled just by hearing what his friend went through. Even if it's not Lloyd or Nya, he couldn't stand seeing others getting hurt or picked on.

"Protecting others was something deeply ingrained into me since I was little," The fiery ninja started, "My dad always told me to watch out for Nya since we were kids. I kinda let that extend to my friends. I get really pissed off when I see Lloyd being bullied for something out of his control."

"Is protecting others all you're good at? Is it really the only thing you can do?"

"I never really thought of it that way..."

"But to protect others… At least you know there's something you want to do..."

"What do _you_ want to do?"

"I… don't know..."

"I actually understand what it's like feeling like there's nothing out there for you. I won't mind helping you out."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

The pair couldn't figure out what else to say. They also noticed that this is the very first time they were able to talk to each other and even be close to one another without fighting over anything or nothing. Part of them felt like talking but for some reason, neither of them wanted to push it.

But one day, they might find the answers both of them are looking for…

* * *

 **I guess I'm relating to Koko in this chapter. I'm just _really_ stressed out & out of it for some reason. But hey, at least I updated. Don't forget to leave a review & I'll be seeing you again soon.**


	30. Living the Double Life

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Yeah. This is gonna be another short chapter. After all that drama between Garmadon & Koko, this story could use a break with something a little more on the silly side that will also focus on the ninja's school lives cuz they're not just ninja. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 29: Living the Double Life

As the old saying goes, life goes on for the ninja. They still had to keep up with their academics so they still had to live out their school lives, whether they like it or not. Too bad talk about the ninja was still going strong in the halls. It seemed their lives as protectors of the city were beginning to merge with the school teens they still were and that may only lead to trouble.

The annoyed Cole let out yet another sigh hearing his classmates' constant gossiping. They really had no idea who these new heroes really were, which he didn't care much about if it weren't for the damn headache that their incessant yapping only made worse. Luckily, the best remedy for a headache that threatened to split his skull in two was only seconds away.

Even in the middle of home economics class, the earth ninja put on his headphones and played some of his heavy metal tracks at max volume. The loud beats managed to not only drown out the students' gossip and the teacher's boring lecture but also threatened to break down the classroom, just how the music-loving ninja likes it.

'That's more like it.' Cole felt his headache go away like magic.

"Mr. Charbonneau! How many times do I have to tell you!? No music during class!" Mrs. Cunningham scolded her student and she definitely wasn't the first one.

Cole was already in his own world, not caring if he'll have to live off of cup noodles and cheap takeout for the rest of his life. Actually, he would prefer it that way. Really, anything would be way better than that so-called sophisticated cuisine he and his father ate at home. The plates barely had anything that had the slightest resemblance to food on them and covering what few desserts his father allowed him to eat with gold paper is frustratingly unnecessary and it doesn't add any flavor.

Good music and good food were the only things he needed. Speaking of food, the dish he had to make today was almost done. All there was left to do was pile the spaghetti onto the plate and pour plenty of homemade tomato cream sauce on top. It smelled kinda good but once Cole took a bite, he realized he might have to reconsider the options he has regarding food in the future…

* * *

Even if it was his least favorite subject, Lloyd actually does pretty well in math.

Too bad he didn't share the same class as the few friends he has. But luckily, there's Chen to keep him on his toes.

"Damn. There's always one too many losers in here." The male cheerleader muttered.

"For once, I agree," Lloyd quipped back… "Maybe you should go and switch classes."

Chen's face, and that of everyone else, paled at the green-eyed teen's remark.

"You better watch your mouth you asswipe or else I'm gonna tell on you!" Chen pointed at him.

"Oh yeah. Like telling on me will solve all your problems. You know nobody likes a tattletale."

The cheerleader's face turned a very bright red and it was almost hilarious if he hadn't exploded with rage and spewed out what could only be vocalized keyboard mash. Some of his friends were holding him back but they didn't give a damn about Lloyd. They just don't want to get in trouble too.

Meanwhile, Lloyd was as nonchalant as ever to Chen's outburst. All the threats he and everyone else threw at him were nothing compared to the internal misery and dilemma of having an evil dad who's never there for him. What doesn't kill him will only make him stronger... and saltier.

* * *

Zane and Kai not only shared science but they also had history class together. It was kinda funny that they never realized it until after they started hanging out together. They still had to focus on class and today was no exception.

Zane couldn't fathom why some of his male classmates had smiles on their faces while learning about the Mutiny on the Bounty, especially while watching clips of movies based on the event. There was no reason to be happy about treason, abduction, and creating an extremely dysfunctional society. Much to the robot's disappointment, if that explains his displeasure, Kai was among the teens that seemed to actually like that the event happened.

"Remember class, your essays on the Royal Navy will be due next Wednesday." Mr. Saunders reminded his students before class was dismissed.

The ninja of fire and ice did find some time to chat before their next class.

"I don't blame that Fetchit guy or whatever," Kai said, "I would've caved in much earlier if I were him."

"Why would you find pleasure in betrayal?"

"Why not? Running away to a tropical paradise with a bunch of sexy girls and never be bothered ever again is like a dream come true!"

"Kai… People actually died because of that." Zane said flatly with an equally inexpressive face.

The fire ninja felt awkward for glorifying a very petty and selfish action. The android would definitely be the life of the party.

"That's all in the past. Just because somebody wants something doesn't necessarily mean it's a good thing." Kai shrugged.

"Then perhaps my desire to be treated the same as humans is not a good thing…?" The android tilted his head like a naive child.

Kai was only burying himself in an even deeper hole. The way Zane was looking at him made him feel like he was telling a five-year-old that Santa isn't real. He actually thought he was seeing cute bubbles and sparkles surrounding the android like he came straight out a shoujo anime.

"Hey, don't look at me for all this psychology stuff! Go bother someone else!" The fire ninja stuttered.

"Am I bothering you? Then I must make amends..." Zane became concerned by his friend's outburst.

"Stop, Zane! Please… Just stop!" Kai felt like he would ruin the robot's innocence if he kept talking and he didn't want to be the one to destroy it.

As a ninja, he also had to protect what few truly beautiful things were left in this world, even if one of them happened to be his own teammate.

* * *

Even if Jay was a very fast runner, he had no love for physical education. While he enjoyed some more hands-on stuff with machines and technology, he didn't really have the best stamina for more arduous activities like running for over five minutes straight or doing a lot of jumping jacks.

"...Nine..." Jay wheezed while finishing his push-ups, "...Ten…!"

The freckled boy collapsed on his back once he completed his warm-up, which didn't happen often, at least until he joined the Secret Ninja Force.

'I guess I should be grateful for all that ninja training...' Jay felt that he was getting a little stronger due to all those training sessions at the hideout. Maybe being a ninja won't be so bad after all...

"Not bad, Jay," The coach commended him… "But everyone else already finished a long time ago!"

Jay saw the rest of the class already playing volleyball without him. So much for improving.

* * *

For once, the kunoichi got to have lunch at the rooftop together without the guys interfering. It wasn't often they got to have some 'girl time' together outside of training.

"Ugh, this is gross." Aria grimaced while eating her homemade lunch.

"What are you eating?" Heather pointed her dark blue eyes at her friend's homemade lunch. The food actually didn't look too bad but the smell was… indescribable.

"I was experimenting with different flavors yesterday and I thought if bacon and maple syrup was such a popular combination, why not try other meats? So I braised some beef with some maple syrup and for the rice, I wanted to do something original. I also wanted to add a sweet note like berries in a salad so I made a pilaf with melon to go with the meat. I even topped it all off with some dill pickle chips for a bit of extra crunch." The kunoichi of wind described her cooking escapade.

The others shared a look of disgust at Aria's story and even more so when she took another bite now that they knew what was in it. The kunoichi of wind nearly gagged but managed to swallow her food.

"If you say it's disgusting, why are you still eating it?" Nya pointed out.

"I promised myself that I will enjoy the fruits of my labor, no matter what! I won't let all the hard work and food go to waste!" Aria scoffed.

"You can't really make a promise to yourself..." Luna said.

"I. Made. A. Promise." The blonde refused to back down.

"You don't really have to -"

"I'm gonna enjoy my food, dammit! And none of you are going to stop me!"

Aria glowered at the other kunoichi while taking another bite of her culinary mess. Her intense glare didn't falter, not even when her eyebrows twitched and her blue-green eyes failed to keep in the tears that ran down her face, betraying her determination.

"Anyway… did anything else happen that doesn't have to do with cooking gone wrong...?" Iris asked.

"I just found out that Unikitty might finally get her own movie and you bet I'm all for it." Nya was the first to go off on a topic that has nothing to do with food disasters.

"The main question is are you _not_." Heather teased.

"Says the girl who's obsessed with flowers." The kunoichi of water threw it back at her.

"Fine. You got me." The brunette pouted.

"I hear EVO will be performing before the big game at the Dragon Stadium." Luna started.

"EVO? Those guys are great!" Aria shared her teammate's enthusiasm for that band.

"There's rumors that they won't be the only band. Some people are saying that RC will be performing too. I hate to admit it but I'm thinking about going there just to see them perform. Is that rude?" The music-loving girl blushed.

"Since you love music so much, I wouldn't blame you." Iris answered.

"But I feel disrespectful if I get tickets for a game just for the performances before it. It's like going to a movie just to watch the short before it and leave. Still, I just can't resist whenever I hear that and idol or band will perform. I guess it's because of my dream to become and idol that I -"

"Luna, you're rambling." Heather stopped her teammate before she could get ahead of herself.

"Sorry..." Luna apologized, feeling embarrassed, "Whenever I get to talk about music, I can't get myself to stop. I pretty much become a broken record..."

"There's nothing wrong with talking about something you're really passionate about." The kunoichi of nature shrugged off her teammate's apology.

"No need to apologize. At least you're nothing compared to Jay." Nya remarked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Iris stopped her friend for a moment, "Let me get this straight… You're telling us that Jay actually _talks_?"

"He may not talk much in public but that's the thing. It's only in public. Once he's in a place where no one else could see him, he'll go on and on like you wouldn't believe it.

The warning bell went off in the school with only one minute left of lunchtime before the next class.

"We should get going." Heather prepared to head to her next class.

"Yeah!" Aria got up more quickly than usual.

"You didn't finish your lunch." Nya pointed at the pile of leftovers left lying where the girls sat.

"Come on! We don't wanna be late! Let's go!" The kunoichi of wind hurried out of the rooftop without looking back at what remained of her lunch.

So much for keeping promises.

* * *

As much as she enjoyed singing and eagerly took part in auditions, Luna was also content listening to the music club members with instruments practice. As much as she loved making music, the kunoichi of sound also enjoyed listening to it. Music always helped her in doing various tasks from housework to homework.

"Luna! We need your help!" Some other members took her attention away from the melodies.

"What's going on?" As shy as she was, Luna could never refuse anyone who needed her help.

"This flier fell off and we need you to place it back on the bulletin board." Brad handed over the piece of paper to her.

"...Are you serious…?" The timid girl was utterly unimpressed. Brad did have a bad habit of becoming overdramatic over certain things.

"Yes, I'm serious!" Her fellow music club member shouted like he was in a soap opera, "Without this flier, not one person will be aware of what we have to offer to Ninjago!"

"Okay, but is lying on the piano in a seductive position a bit much?" Luna pointed out.

"Don't question me!" Brad rebuked her from atop the school's grand piano, sticking his leg out like he was a supermodel and a spotlight shining down on him.

As much as she wanted to be an idol, Luna did know when things can get excessive.

* * *

Zane was back at work at The Petite Corner where business was going smoothly as usual. None of his fellow ninja came today and as much as he understood that they had other things to do, the android found himself feel a stronger need to be with them again, even if they do train together everyday. He was nearing the end of his shift so he won't have to plagued by this feeling for too long.

"Zane, the owner wants to see you." One of the maids grabbed Zane's attention away from his work.

"Is something wrong?"

"I dunno," The maid shrugged, "He just said he wants to speak to you alone."

Zane obeyed his boss' order and reached his destination where the owner awaited him.

"Can you explain why you have summoned me here?" The robot asked.

"So far, you've shown an excellent work ethic and you did say you want to cook, no?" His boss replied with another question.

"I do recall expressing a desire for a job focusing on the culinary arts." Zane answered.

"Zane, if you want to become a cook here, you'll have to prove to me that you know your way around the kitchen. Make me a homemade dish that's not on the menu and I'll see if you have what it takes. If you don't, I won't let you do any more work than what you do now."

"I will accept this task."

With little time before meeting with the ninja, Zane aimed to make something simple. He considered making the fruit sandwiches he made for Jay, Cole, and Luna before but that will be too similar to the sandwiches the cafe already has on their menu. Luckily, he had plenty of other ideas thanks to being the main chef in his abode.

The android rummaged the fridge and pantries and found some salmon, potatoes, and dill. He quickly found the right dish to make because those ingredients were requirements for lohikeitto. The salmon soup recipe was a traditional dish passed down in Dr. Julien's family and the old engineer saw it fit to teach his robot son how to make it. Zane made it more than enough times to memorize the directions and ingredients without even looking through the information he stored in his massive database. The ice ninja made it just like he always did at home and brought the finished soup to his boss.

"Doesn't look or smell bad but the flavor is the most important aspect for every dish." The cafe owner inspected the bowl like a highly detailed painting before bringing a spoonful of soup to his mouth…

Zane was concerned when his boss seemed to have fallen into a catatonic state after tasting just one spoonful of his lohikeitto.

Was the salmon spoiled?

Every single eatery had to abide by the food laws of Ninjago but what if there was a bad batch that the chefs forgot to throw out?

Or was it just plain bad?

"Wake up! Please wake up!" The robot checked for a pulse in the human's wrist and was relieved upon finding it.

The owner started showing signs of life, first by tears streaming down his face and his mouth moving though no sounds echoed from his lips.

"That was…" He gasped, "I have tasted the food of gods..."

"There is nothing divine in the ingredients and preparation," Zane stated, "It is a family recipe passed down from my father."

"I didn't ask for your life story. This is the most delicious soup I've ever had but I can't let you cook just yet. First, answer this question which will be harder than the last."

"I will."

"What is one billion… minus _two_ billion?" The cafe owner gave his supposedly difficult question.

"Negative one billion." Zane answered just as quickly as before and starting to wonder if his boss had something against numbers in billions.

His boss stared at him for several seconds before speaking...

"You got a deal."

* * *

Meanwhile at Blossoming Memories, Heather's job was… the same as ever.

The kunoichi of nature continued tending to the flowers as always. It was a far cry from her new duties as a member of the Secret Ninja Force but it was still something she really enjoyed doing. While taking care of carnations, Heather saw that something was off. The flowers were shaking rather than swaying by the small movements of the air. Deep thumps echoed in the distance and before the Heather knew it, everything in the shop was shaking. She even had trouble standing on her own two feet, listening to the thumps growing ever louder.

"Heather, what's going on?" The shopkeeper rushed in and found himself struggling to stand.

'He's coming! Oh god, he's coming!' Heather held on to the counter for dear life.

Soon, heavy metal music bombarded the flower shop. Heather was almost fooled into believing that the tune was coming from the radio from her boss' office but she knew better. She heard this kind of music and even at the same volume everyday ever since she became a kunoichi.

The person opened the door and Heather literally fell on her bottom from the intense volume of the radio propped up on their shoulder. She and her boss struggled to hang on to the counter as flowers and everything else in the store were literally sent flying by the sheer volume of that person's music.

"Cole! Turn that thing down!" She shouted above the cacophony.

"What?" Her boss quipped, assuming she was talking to him even if he couldn't hear a word she said.

Cole did have the decency to lower the volume on his radio by one percent inside the shop...

"Turn it off, dammit! Just turn the damn thing off!" Heather couldn't take it anymore and yelled at the earth ninja, not caring she was swearing in front of her boss. The black ninja sent an annoyed glance at his teammate's direction and relented.

Heather and her boss looked completely blown away. The still had a dumbfounded expression on their faces and their hair were a complete mess.

"A-am I… Have I gone deaf…?" The shopkeeper straightened himself but was still discombobulated.

"Can you hear me now?" Cole checked on the man's hearing capabilities.

"Yeah..." The middle-aged man managed to catch the dark-skinned teen's voice once the ringing in his ears went away.

"Good."

"Hello, Cole." Heather greeted the earth ninja again once she calmed down.

"Let me guess. You're gonna ask things like 'Why aren't you at your house?' or 'What are you doing in this place?' I just like being away from home as much as possible. Happy?" He answered the kunoichi of nature's questions before she could even ask them, having heard it from others so many times.

"Fine, you can stay as long as you like," Heather relented, "Just don't play any music that loud in here."

Cole's earthy green eyes darted through all the variety of flowers in the shop. Being the ninja of earth, he felt a deep respect for not only the lives of people and animals but plants too. As much as he loves music, he still wanted to help others and offered to clean up the mess he made…

Heather got distracted from fixing the bouquets by the sound of clay pots being smashed. She turned around and felt some nerves burst seeing Cole surrounded by some broken pots he apparently tried to pick up. She expected better from the _earth_ ninja and it was by some divine force that prevented the kunoichi of nature from mauling him right then and there.

"...My bad..." He broke the stunned silence with an awkward apology.

Hey, at least he was sorry.

* * *

 **It seems like things are starting to slow down but don't sit back just yet! We might get to see the ninja go on their second mission & there will be plenty of them before we get to the events of the movie so don't go anywhere! Please don't forget to review while you're at it!**


	31. Mission Possible?

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! Today, some of the ninja will go on their second mission as even more action unfold! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 30: Mission… Possible?

Garmadon was busy planning out his next attempt to conquer Ninjago. Since his volcano lair was right next to the beach, taking over the city from the sea will be a little too obvious. If he could find a way to catch the people off guard, he'll have an easier time getting them to submit. His minions could sneak into the middle of the city. He's done it before… on that day…

'Koko...'

The dark lord could never shake off the memories of seeing the one woman he ever loved after many years apart and the words she said to him were etched into his mind forever.

They're divorced now so why are her words still affecting him?

And there was another person Garmadon couldn't get out of his head.

Deep down, even if he wished it wasn't there, he still had love in his heart for his only child. Lloyd was somewhere in Ninjago City and knowing he was a pariah, Garmadon felt a stronger urge to bend the city to his rule. What surprised him was that this urge had no trace of his usual megalomania. He was confused by this feeling he can't decipher for the life of him. All he knew was that he sought to put an end to the bullying Koko claimed his son went through all his life. If she hadn't left him, then their son would've never been bullied by those judgemental heathens.

Yet those heathens dwell in Ninjago City.

He knew exactly what his next assignment for his servants will be...

"All members of the Shark Army report to my office immediately." Garmadon summoned them...

* * *

The ninja arrived at the hideout just when word of the Shark Army heading for the city arrived.

"Students, it's time to answer to the people's cries for help again." Wu informed the ninja before any of them could say something about it.

"Should we go and stop them? We're still not very good at fighting." Heather pondered.

"It is your duty as ninja to protect the city and its inhabitants from any threats."

"But we're not ready." Lloyd pointed out.

"And when will you be ready?" Wu asked his nephew.

The green ninja couldn't find an answer. He still had some ambivalence over his new life as a ninja.

"If he's not ready, then _I_ am." Kai volunteered to go.

"Are you?" Now Wu changed his target to the fire ninja, "You trained alongside the other ninja. What makes you ready and not them?"

"I was already training in kendo -"

"The art of the sword and that of the ninja are different. Your swordsmanship doesn't betray years of experience but that doesn't necessarily make you better. Not all ninja fight with a sword."

The fire ninja pouted while Master Wu continued lecturing his apprentices.

"The Shark Army are still on the move as we speak. Within the city, organization will be a top priority. Trying to maintain a large team will be unwise in a tight environment. Only some of you will go today."

"So who's going?" Aria asked, feeling even more impatient than usual.

Was that time of the month coming?

"Cole and Zane, you two have developed a defensive fighting style that is more ideal for battle within a more enclosed environment. With more people in the vicinity, your ways in the art of combat might make it less likely for harm to come their way. Will you take on this task?" Wu looked at the black and white ninja right in the eyes, seeking sincerity in any words they intend to utter.

Cole and Zane looked at each other briefly as if expecting to find the answer in each other's eyes. The ice ninja's optics had their perpetual glow yet they managed to give the earth ninja a feeling that they will be able to make it through this mission. Meanwhile, the android saw something unfamiliar in his human comrade's earthy green orbs. He had yet to fully understand the thought patterns of humans but assuming from what he knows, Cole might be going through many emotions at once. He wanted to comfort the human for reasons he had no time to decipher.

Yet the possibility of experiencing many different thoughts and feelings at the same time intrigued the android nonetheless. In return, the earth ninja still retained his desire to help and protect others.

The human and the robot shared a mutual unwavering focus on their duty.

"I will accept this mission." Zane obeyed his teacher's order.

"Whatever." Cole wasn't one for formalities but accepted all the same.

"Iris, you're coming too." Wu beckoned Iris to join the pair.

"What? Me?" The pink kunoichi was dumbfounded by her mentor's decision to include her.

"Yes, you," Wu shot back at her, "As the kunoichi of metal, you possess a strong will wherever you go and no matter who you are to the world. Kunoichi or schoolgirl, the way the world sees you can never change that because it's part of who you really are. That strength makes you the perfect kunoichi for this kind of mission."

The pink kunoichi still can't connect the dots with her mentor's speech.

But learning from her experiences dealing with Master Wu, complaining won't get her anywhere. She frowned, still frustrated by his secretive ways, but complied for the moment.

"Fine. I'll go." The other ninja knew she still wasn't happy with this arrangement just by looking at her cheeks which she always puffed up whenever she was the slightest bit annoyed… such as right now.

"I will allow only one more ninja on the mission… and that last ninja… is you." Wu pointed at what the ninja thought was some imaginary person watching them the whole time.

Turns out he was really pointing at none other than Lloyd himself.

"But I told you I wasn't ready!" The green-eyed ninja quickly protested.

"As leader of the Secret Ninja Force, you must oversee every mission and ensure that you and all the ninja can work together." His uncle said.

"Who died and made Lloyd leader?" Nya scoffed.

"I did and no, this story hasn't gone long enough for anyone to die… yet." Wu answered but what he had to say only disturbed his pupils.

"But why Lloyd?" Heather also protested, "Don't you think it's a bad idea to have the team being led by the generic angst-ridden teen with family issues?"

"Full offense but she's right," Lloyd agreed, much to the teal kunoichi's surprise, "I still don't know if I want to face my father like this. Even if I was good at martial arts or using a sword, I'm pretty sure it'll only get worse if I end up facing him in person."

"That day will come, no matter how much you try to avoid the truth. You're not the only person who's going through the problems you face but it is your choice as an individual over how to deal with them. Your future is for you to decide." Wu patiently dealt with his nephew's dilemma.

Lloyd looked at his teammates and tried to read their expressions. Kai and Nya still looked annoyed at the idea of staying behind while Jay shrunk back. Heather and Aria seemed downtrodden that they'll be left behind though Iris seemed more annoyed than them for being the only girl who's going. Zane's face was expressionless and Cole looked bored as usual.

The green ninja won't be getting any help from his teammates on this one.

'Looks like there's only one way to find answers...'

"Fine. I'm only doing this because I'm still seeking closure." Lloyd accepted his second mission.

"Where's the Shark Army now?" Cole asked.

"They were last seen downtown near the street market. You don't have much time. Go, now." Master Wu sent off the quartet.

"Yes, Master Wu." The four selected ninja donned their masks and went out for their mission.

* * *

The ragtag quartet tried not to be seen but trying to sneak into the city undetected in their unique gi was easier said than done. They had to squeeze through tight alleys, hide behind anything that could conceal them from the naked eye, and stay within the shadows. To make things more complicated, the area the Shark Army were supposedly spotted were crowded just like every other place in the city. The ninja struggled to get to their location and while they haven't been spotted so far, that's because they spent most of their time hiding.

"Looks like the people here are too distracted. We could make it to the next building if we move at the same time and quickly." Cole pointed at the tall building just ahead of them.

"In the next two seconds, we need to move quickly..." Zane gave the ninja a heads-up, "...Go!"

The quartet moved as fast as they could and ended stumbling on one another. They were grateful that background characters had little intellect and were too dumb to detect them. It's one of the benefits of stories about undercover heroes.

Iris felt annoyed being the only girl in the group. She was like those token girls from those shows and movies who were only there to attract girls and nothing more. Master Wu did pick her and the other three ninja because of their fighting style alone but it wouldn't have hurt to have one of the other girls joining them. She also felt even more left out since Lloyd was talking to Zane and Cole and not her.

"We must use what time we have to formulate a strategy." Zane suggested.

"What are we supposed to do? Just let the Shark Army kick our asses like last time and call it a day?" Lloyd remained as pessimistic as ever, even when performing his new duties as a ninja.

"Don't ask us. You're the leader." Cole retorted.

"It's my first day!" The green ninja was still reluctant to accept his role as leader.

"Technically, you were a ninja for over forty-five days and we have already been on our first mission so this being your first day is completely illogical." The ice ninja responded as naive as ever.

"Maybe Iris has something to say." Cole pointed at the sole girl in the group.

Lloyd averted his emerald eyes from the kunoichi of metal for a moment.

Lloyd had nothing against Iris but he knew Cole and Zane longer than her and found it easier opening up to the friends he for a longer time than others. It's just that most of his newer friends are girls, not that he's sexist or anything. He can't control the number of boys and girls that befriend him.

"What was that for!?" Iris got riled up by the green ninja continuing to ignore her, "Just because you're the leader doesn't mean you can treat me like crap!"

"And I didn't ask to be a leader!" Lloyd retorted.

"That's still no excuse for acting like a jerk! You're so unfair!" The pink kunoichi still argued.

"No I'm not!" The green ninja talked back like a stubborn child.

"Yes you are!" The sole girl in the group fought with the same level of maturity.

Cole and Zane tried to get their quarrelsome cohorts to be quiet. Having only insignificant background characters surrounding them doesn't make them safe from the Shark Army.

Speaking of which…

"Look what we have here!" A voice interrupted Lloyd and Iris' argument. It looks like it was the Shark Army that found them and not the other way around as planned.

"It's those wannabes again." The fashion-challenged baddies already mocked them.

"How could we want to be ninja if that is what we already are?"

"Hold on a sec! Weren't there more of you last time?" The newest General #1 noticed that there were only four vigilantes instead of ten like the first time.

"Why would you want to know?" The green ninja glared at his enemies with suspicion.

"Don't get all smart with us! Now tell us! Where's the rest of ya freaks?"

The ninja found themselves unable to come up with an answer or they'll give away clues to their true identities and the others' whereabouts, which their enemies took as a sign of cowardice.

"Wouldn't ya believe it?" Some of the Shark Army members sneered, "These losers are all bark and no bite! Good thing we're sharks!"

The ninja sans the robotic white ninja shuddered, knowing they hit rock bottom when even the mooks throw cringe-y insults at them.

"Uh, enough talk! A-attack!" The green ninja led his teammates into battle.

The Shark Army didn't hesitate to fight the ninja and dished it back.

Yet again, Iris spent much of the battle hiding behind her shield. She did try to attack her enemies but her swordsmanship definitely needed some improvement. Her sword never met the weapons of the Shark Army, making the kunoichi a sorry sight compared to her teammates.

Lloyd wasn't faring any better, more focused on surviving the battle and dodging his enemies' attacks than trying to fight them head on. His sword met the weapons of the Shark Army but neither side was winning. They were locked in a rocky stalemate as the fight continued. The civilians either watched the battle go on or getting the hell out of there.

Zane and Cole ended up being the main fighters for the ninja's side. Zane shot his arrows at the Shark Army's weapons with deadly accuracy and Cole easily subdued his enemies with the might of his large warhammer or even just using his brute strength to fend off any goons coming his way.

Iris still tried to put in at least some effort in the battle, swinging her sword whenever she didn't find it mandatory to raise her shield. After many fruitless slashes and swipes, her blade finally hit something that wasn't air for once.

"Look what you made me do!" One of the goons cursed when the pink kunoichi's sword knocked out his weapon and shattered it in the process.

The kunoichi of metal was more stunned by her own action than anyone else. She still would've stood there looking like a deer in headlights if another underling struck her from behind with their club. This is a story, not a cartoon. The same cliches won't happen here. But the black ninja was there to defend her, using his hammer and fists to fend off anyone trying to get to her while she recollected herself.

Meanwhile, Zane and Lloyd worked together to demolish any weapons the Shark Army had so they'll be rendered helpless.

"This is the last one!" The ice ninja fired an arrow at the last Shark Army member's hammer, knocking it out of his hand. The green ninja wasted no time in slicing it in two with his sword before the enemy could reclaim it.

With the Shark Army's weapons destroyed the ninja might be successful being ninja for once, even if they were still bruised and battered from their ordeal.

"No time for banter!" The green ninja went straight to the point, "Now tell us why you're here!"

"That's for Lord Garmadon to know and for you to find out… Actually, he doesn't want you to find out so yeah… it's only for him to know."

"Face it. We'll never get anything out of these guys." The pink kunoichi muttered.

The ninja couldn't bring them back to the hideout unless they want to give themselves away.

"You'll never defeat Lord Garmadon! This isn't the last you'll hear from us!" The Shark Army ran for it like the cowardly minor villains they were before they could be apprehended.

Even if they subdued the Shark Army for a bit ninja felt like this battle was a letdown like the first one.

"For some reason, I'm not happy we made it out in one piece..." The pink kunoichi sighed.

"Eh, it could've been worse." The black ninja shrugged.

Before the buff ninja could say anything, a low creaking sound alerted the ninja and some of the less well-built stands of downtown Ninjago collapsed on them, giving them unnecessary stress as if some strange force was using them as chew toys.

"You know what? Just do us all a favor and don't ever say that again." The green ninja grumbled.

* * *

The quartet managed to make it back to their base without being seen.

"Lloyd! We gotta get you taken care of right now!" Kai checked on his friend's wounds and rushed to find bandages and anything to treat them with.

"So… how did it go…?" Heather asked sheepishly towards Iris.

"Don't ask." The pink kunoichi plopped down on one of the cushions, exhausted from her ordeal.

"You can't expect to be successful on the first try." Wu said.

"Forgive me for interrupting but this was our second mission." Zane pointed out.

"You're still new to the world of ninja. We must be grateful for what we have, no matter how much or how little it is. You should consider yourselves lucky you made it out alive without serious injuries."

"Why are you talking like that? It's making me uncomfortable..." Luna complained.

"I cannot say the same thing in the future. You must use all the time you have to prepare for it."

The ninja and kunoichi were creeped out more than usual by their mysterious mentor. Alas, there was no use trying to pry answers from him and continue training...

* * *

Just as the teen vigilantes expected, the Secret Ninja Force's second time out in public received just as much attention as the first time. The halls of Ninjago High were flooded with gossip about the ninja.

"So the ninja _are_ the real deal!" Much of the students who assumed the incident at the beach was just a one-time stunt were now convinced that Ninjago City now has its own group of young hero squad to protect it from Garmadon and his Shark Army.

"But some of the ninja from last time weren't there." Others pointed out.

"I was kinda hoping they'd all show up." Several students lamented.

"I wanted to see the one in red!" Some schoolgirls whined within earshot of the fire ninja himself.

"Don't even think about it." Nya growled at her brother, who already had a smug smirk on his face.

The ninja still weren't sure what to make of their personas turning into celebrities. While they swore a vow of secrecy, the temptation to reveal their true selves tugged at their psyche everyday.

But in a very strange way, maintaining that lie seemed to be the only way they'll find some acceptance at all, even if they had to fool the rest of the world that they and the ninja were two different people.

"Watch it you little nerd!" Jay was roughly pushed aside by some of the jocks.

The timid boy scrambled to pick up his textbooks and papers only to be shoved down again.

As with all jocks, those bullies were idiots because they had no idea how stupid it was to bully the shy boy with Nya in the vicinity. It wasn't unusual for the strong, independent girl to be fiercely protective over her friends like her brother…

...And becoming just as intimidating while doing so.

Everybody's skin turned ghostly white once they saw Nya and steered clear as she calmly approached the bullies.

"If you really wanted a one-way ticket to the emergency room so badly… why didn't you say so?" Nya smirked but the bullies can tell she was super pissed just by looking at her usually bright blue eyes that were now dull and dark with pitch black fury.

The bullies felt their pants become wet and they fled before the strong girl could beat the ever-loving shit out of them. Even the other students followed their example, not wanting to provoke the already enraged girl.

Nya's intense glare softened the moment she turned around to check on Jay.

"Are you okay?" She offered her hand to him, the steeliness of her voice before completely vanished.

The blue-eyed teen still whimpered after Nya scared off his assailants. The kunoichi of water rolled her light blue eyes and literally dragged him up on his feet. Jay's face turned beet red from her touch but his teammate remained oblivious as the two ninja wandered off to have a little talk alone.

"You'll have to stand up for yourself one day. You need to learn to fight by yourself." Nya goaded him.

"I'll never be as strong as you..." Jay sighed, still not feeling any more confident than he was before he joined the Secret Ninja Force.

"Not with that attitude. Jay, you're a ninja now. You can become better than this."

"I'm… not good enough…?"

"I didn't mean it that way. You're a really smart guy and that will make you important to the team."

"But I'm not the only one." Jay said aloud.

'You're smart too.' He finished internally.

"You need to stop worrying so much about what others think of you. I know what it's like." The silver kunoichi said, still unaware of her teammate's true feelings.

"You do…?"

"Yeah. Hell, a lot of people do. Everyone knows high school is the worst time of your life. There's still people who don't think I'm great. Some teens think I'm a poser for wanting to ride a motorcycle and dressing the way I do and many girls say I'm prettier with my hair down but I prefer my hair up."

"How do you deal with them?"

"I don't because they're not worth it. You're gonna let them win if you let their insults get to you."

"I never really thought of it that way..."

"But we'll be there for you, just like with Lloyd. If anyone tries to hurt you again, I'll make sure they'll not only regret it but make sure they can't hurt _anyone_ ever again."

As much as Jay admired Nya, he felt that having her protect him may not be a good thing. The strong independent girl was very much Kai's sister when it comes to protecting their friends and he saw how terrifying Kai can be whenever he saw Lloyd being picked on.

God help those poor souls who might pick on him again…

* * *

 **Don't worry Jay. Now no one will ever hurt you again.**

 **The action's still warming up & the ninja will go on more missions later…**

 **Side note, I recently saw Black Panther & all I'll say is… Go watch it now! For now, please review!**


	32. The Weekend Whip

**Discovering Destiny**

 **It's the weekend… whip! After yet another mission that hasn't done well, the ninja deserve a break. That & it's time to show that yes, this story will also have some classic Lego-style wacky humor. Join the ninja as they continue forming bonds with one another & live life in Ninjago City. Read on!**

* * *

Chapter 31: The Weekend Whip

The ninja and kunoichi returned to their base for another day of training as usual.

"Something smells good." Jay caught a whiff of the delicious scent of freshly baked treats. He followed the yummy smell and found Zane standing before the ninja.

"I prepared some food to provide sustenance," The robot arrived with a plate of homemade cookies, "Here, now all of you can has a cookie."

The other ninja accepted his offer despite his horribly outdated sense of humor. The ninja who had yet to try the robot's cooking until now were blown away by his gift in the culinary arts. The simple sugar cookies tasted much better than any other they've had. The pile of cookies quickly shrunk until there were only about a dozen left within minutes.

Zane felt something deep within his very being but he had no idea what it was. All he knew was that it was there... and that he liked it. The way his teammates enjoyed something the android made himself gave him all kinds of emotions but above all, he experienced this strange new feeling that things might turn out well for him and he will be seen as an equal by his brethren.

'Is this what hope feels like…?'

"Lloyd, are you crying?" Nya barely held back a snicker when she saw what she believed was a tear in the corner of the teen's green eye.

"Nah, t-there's just something in my eye..." The green ninja sniffled, rubbing his eyes yet he can't deny how yummy Zane's cookies were and the fact that his eyes were wet. The cookies were so good Lloyd almost believed he was really eating pure joy and happiness given physical (and edible) form.

All the ninja now agreed that Zane will be the team chef from now on.

"There will be time for snacks later," Again, Master Wu was there to ruin his pupils' fun, "You must use all the time we have to train for the inevitable."

"Yes, Master Wu..." As much as the young team didn't want to admit it, being a ninja won't be all fun and games. One day, everything they've learned and all the time they've spent training will be put to the test and they must be ready for it whenever it comes.

* * *

Every time the ninja had their break, Lloyd would go straight back to working on his mech. Today, the day he was looking forward to since starting his project finally arrived.

After many sessions of pouring all his blood, sweat, and tears into his work, the green ninja was finally done building his Mech Dragon. The mechanical beast was large enough for the young ninja to ride on its back with more room to spare. Now all Lloyd needed to do was work on the controls and arsenal. There were also a bunch of other designs he'll have to get started on soon, such as Kai's mech whose designs drew heavily from the Gundom series and Nya's spider-like contraption. The other ninja were still coming up with their own designs but at least Lloyd won't be alone.

"Hey Lloyd! I thought up of some kinks to add to your dragon!" Jay showed him some blueprints of his dragon. The green ninja quickly noticed that his teammate's ideas mostly had to do with missiles. He didn't mind the idea as long as he can still get his dragon to breathe green flames.

"Do the others have any ideas?" Lloyd asked.

"Aria's thinking of something airborne but that's pretty much it for now." Nya answered.

"We'll still help you with the other mechs if you want." Jay offered.

"I appreciate the help but I still want to work on the Mech Dragon alone. Still, I'll definitely need some help for the other mechs." The green ninja said.

"Don't you worry! You'll be done with all the mechs in no time as long as we're around!" The lightning ninja leaned on one of the cabinets in another one of his efforts to look cool… until his feet slid back. Jay lost his grip on the cabinet and fell flat on his face.

"On second thought, maybe Nya might be able to hold her own..." Lloyd said flatly.

Jay, still flat on his face, mumbled something but the others didn't care to decipher what he said. They didn't even bother to deal with the puddle of tears pooling around the blue ninja's head. Master Wu must've had a little too much tea when he decided that Jay could be a ninja...

* * *

Since they had part-time jobs close to one another, Zane and Heather found themselves hanging out a lot even during the weekend hours before their ninja training. They didn't mind hanging out with each other all the time. Not only were they ninja now but both of them can't deny that they truly enjoyed being with one another. It was like they had this connection somehow...

"I noticed how much you all enjoyed my cooking. Perhaps that is why I found myself making another treat for you to enjoy." Zane offered the kunoichi of nature a box filled with homemade cream puffs.

"You don't have to go through all the trouble to make all this for me." Heather was astonished by the humanoid's offer.

"But it is something I thoroughly enjoy. Seeing everyone smile through something I have made by my own hands gives me this feeling of acceptance. Please enjoy." Zane still offered his homemade treats to his teammate.

"Um… thank you..." The teal kunoichi still found herself tempted by the treats. The cookies the white ninja made the other day were very delicious and she was eager to see if these cream puffs will taste good too. She gave one a try and her expectations were beyond confirmed. The delicate choux pastry made way for the smooth custard cream and fluffy whipped cream. Heather could hardly believe that such decadence could come from a simple treat and she wanted to jump and squeal like a little girl.

"Heather, is something wrong? Did I make a mistake with the recipe?" Zane grew concerned when he saw the kunoichi of nature hunched over and shaking like a leaf.

"N-not at all..." Heather barely managed to regain her composure despite her voice cracking like Jay's whenever Nya was nearby, "Dr. Julien must be a _very_ lucky man to have your for a son."

"I never thought of it like that. I am forever grateful to him for bringing me to this world and encouraging me to truly live. _I_ feel very fortunate to have been made by him." Zane answered.

"I still wonder if your father invented all sorts of things. I've heard that Dr. Adam Julien was considered to be the greatest inventor and engineer of his time."

"Well, he also built Mom..." Zane started.

"Mom…?" Heather tilted her head. As far as she knew, Dr. Julien never married and didn't father any biological children. And on top of that, robots can't have mothers...

"Mom is a computer Father calls the Maternally Optimized Mechanism. Father programmed Mom to ensure I will not be alone… after his time is up..." Zane quickly became troubled thinking about human mortality and what it could mean for him as the only non-human member of the Secret Ninja Force.

"Does… 'Mom'… actually do anything…?" The kunoichi of nature asked, oblivious to Zane's inner crisis.

"Yes. Mom always makes sure my mainframe is stable and clear of any bugs or viruses and often offers advice for various tasks such as cooking and any other type of manual labor. Also, whenever I am not home, Mom also ensures that Father is safe and well. Mom is the closest thing I will have to a mother." The ice ninja described Mom's functions to pull his mind away from his internal dilemma.

Heather suddenly started giggling, much to the android's confusion.

"Is there something about Mom that amuses you?" Now it was Zane's turn to ask questions.

"No. I just find it kinda cute that you call it Mom." Heather chuckled.

"I am… cute…?" The ice ninja tilted his head like a little puppy.

"Yes. Yes you are." A random passerby answered, crying from the extreme cuteness overload.

"Anyway… when are you going to start cooking at the cafe?" Heather tried changing the subject once the background character's time at the spotlight was up.

"I have recently been accepted to work in the kitchen though I have to start by assisting the chefs. It is a slow process but I accept it." Zane answered.

"Those cookies you made before were very delicious and so were the cream puffs. Jay wasn't kidding when he said you may be one of the best cooks in all of Ninjago. As for me, I still don't know if I'll ever be good at something meaningful or at least something else that doesn't have to do with flowers..."

"I believe you do."

"Y-you're just saying that..."

"What fascinates me about humans is that they are always changing. It is not their appearances alone but also how they live their lives and their choices on who they wish to be. Heather, you are a human. You can decide what else you are good at and why you are here. That is what makes you humans very different from one another. To constantly change and have full control over who you are… it must feel so amazing..."

"Isn't that what you're doing? You got that job to cook and it was your choice alone to be a ninja."

"Not long after I was first activated, Father told me I was made to protect others who cannot protect themselves… but that is not all I am. He also said he programmed me to have a mind of my own and a free will so I too can decide what kind of person I wish to be. Being my own person is something I have always wanted but that is not all. I also wish to be accepted by humans and be seen as an equal. If no one does, I feel that I _am_ too different..."

Heather wasn't sure what to say to Zane but suddenly, an idea popped up in her head.

"Come with me. There's something I wanna do for you." She got up, Zane following close behind.

Heather led Zane into Blossoming Memories and searched through the vast collection of flowers until she found some alstroemeria. She knew those were the right kind of flowers for Zane because… Well, she couldn't quite figure out why she chose them but for some reason, they just feel… right…

"Here," She offered the flowers to the humanoid, "These are for you."

"Why are you offering me flowers?" The ice ninja asked.

"You made those cream puffs for me," She answered, "The least I can do is to return the favor and you did say you thought of getting another flower last time we talked."

"Yes, I do recall saying such a thing too." Zane recognized the data saved in his memory bank.

Zane was ready to pay for the flowers but much to his surprise, Heather stopped him.

"Don't worry. It's on me." She told him.

"You must be mistaken. You are carrying the flowers in your hand, not on your head."

Heather giggled again, bemused by Zane's naivete. She once thought it was impossible but the robot possessed vast wisdom and knowledge yet at the same time, a childlike naivete and a sense of wonder to the world around him. He was truly one of a kind. Even if more robots were brought into the world, none of them could ever match the wise yet innocent charm Zane had.

"Oh, Zane. You're really one of a kind." The kunoichi of nature still smiled, which gave Zane this feeling he never experienced before. It was similar to the hope he must've felt when he saw the ninja enjoy the food he made but it wasn't the exact same. He still had trouble deciphering why this feeling was different. But he was still looking forward to finding out what it was.

"Thank you, Heather." Zane expressed his gratitude to her not because of the flowers alone but for all the times they've spent together up to this point and for making him experience these feelings...

* * *

Luna was lazing around with Lorelei at home when she received a message from Aria on her phone.

'Luna, I'm bored. You mind if we go shopping together?' The kunoichi of wind enticed her to go out.

'Of course not.' The hazel-eyed girl replied, also finding herself bored at home.

'Good! Then meet me at the seaside shopping center in twenty minutes!'

'Going out is fun and all but don't you think we should plan things out first?'

It's been minutes but Aria never replied. The purple kunoichi can only assume her teammate already left. Still, it would be nice to get out of the house for a while...

Aria was already at their destination, waiting for her fellow kunoichi to come. Having arrived early, she was quickly running out of patience.

"Aria! I'm here!" Luna finally arrived.

"It's been..." Aria paused to check the time, "...Eighteen minutes! I was going to shop without you!"

"You said twenty minutes! I'm not late!" Luna responded.

Aria stood there looking dumbfounded for a few moments before remembering why they were here.

"At least you're here. Now come on! It's time to treat ourselves!" The olive-skinned girl grabbed Luna by the arm and led the way for their little adventure.

Aria was pleasantly surprised that Luna seemed to love shopping just as much as her. The kunoichi of sound also displayed a strong penchant for fashion and even coming up with ideas for unique outfits. They ended up visiting many places and indulged themselves on the latest trends.

"Wow! I can't believe how much stuff we got!" Luna stopped for a quick break after shopping at their tenth store.

"We should do this again some time." Aria suggested, "Heather and Nya never stick around as long as you do. They don't seem to appreciate the true gift of fashion nor the satisfaction of buying something new. You know what? We'll do our shopping together from now on!"

"Shopping's fun and all but just to be curious, why do you enjoy it so much?"

"It's because I've always liked new and different things. I guess I'm just like that with everything. Now why do _you_ like shopping?"

"I'm often intrigued by all the outfits idols get to wear at their concerts and album covers. They're all so creative and unique. I would like to wear something that's one of a kind too… and maybe be seen in one without anyone judging or making fun of me. Maybe that's yet another reason I want to become an idol..."

"Do you ever think of anything besides wanting to sing?"

"I try but it's something I've wanted since I was a little girl. Sometimes, I fear that what everyone says in school are right. I'm just an empty-headed girl who cares about nothing but some silly dreams."

"Your dreams aren't silly! You should be lucky to have a dream at all!"

"Wait, don't you have your own dreams too?"

"I do but at least you know what you want."

"Maybe I can help you find out what you want?"

"You sure about that?" Aria felt nervous, which she didn't expect, "Heather and Nya keep saying that I can never keep my sights set on anything for long and they're actually right."

"Is there anything you're good at or enjoy? Perhaps you can try pursuing something you're interested in." Luna suggested.

"It's obvious I enjoy shopping but…"

"But what?"

"I don't tell this to a lot of people but I also enjoy dancing."

"Really? That's awesome! Then you could join the music club!" The kunoichi of sound became ecstatic at the thought of having another member of the Secret Ninja Force also joining the same club as her.

"Sorry, but I don't think music club's for me," Aria rejected the offer, "I've already joined many clubs in school and I don't want to risk being disappointed again."

"Oh… then maybe you can join a dance school?"

"We already have to train as ninja everyday. I won't have time for it."

"Even if you like it, do you think you're any good at dancing?"

Aria thought about her dancing skills compared to how much she liked it. The olive-skinned girl could only hope she wasn't as horrendous as those clips on PewTube...

* * *

The Hinata household was empty save for one person.

Kai just got out of his shower and the first thing he did, as usual, was grab plenty of hair gel and style his hair into its telltale spiky look before selecting his wardrobe for the day. First, he looked through his collection of boxers and settled for a blue pair with the word 'HOT!' written all over them. And then it finally dawned on the fire ninja that he was the only person home.

Having the house all to himself, the fire ninja felt a strong urge to just dance.

Dancing was Kai's guilty pleasure and he would only do it when he was sure no one was around. With his parents out at work and Nya hanging out with some friends, he finally had the chance to indulge. On top of that, he could also work on his singing. Kai selected one of his newer favorites on his phone and started playing it at full blast and started dancing around in his boxers, all care and worries thrown out the window.

"Jump up, kick back, whip around, and spin!" The fire ninja sang off-key to another song by 'The Fold', a band that Lloyd seemed to have taken a liking to as of late. He did listen to some of there songs such as their signature hit, 'The Weekend Whip', which he was singing to today.

The already impulsive Kai was now free of all inhibitions and danced like today was his last. Nothing in the whole world mattered to him, from the clothes he flung to the ground to his sister at the corner of the door spying on him with her phone -

"NYA!" Kai's voice cracked in the most hilarious way his sister could imagine and turned off the music.

"This is definitely gonna go on PewTube!" The Hinata sister guffawed while playing the video again.

"What the hell are you doing here!? You said you wouldn't be back in a couple of hours!" The kunoichi of water started to think her brother's reaction might be even more hilarious than that freak show she just witnessed earlier.

"I came back to pick up some stuff but how can I not _not_ record this?" She wheezed while she tried to regain some composure.

"Delete that footage!" Kai tried to take the phone away but Nya was quick and already submitted the video to PewTube.

"You'll pay for this," The fire ninja glowered at her, "I'll make you wish you never posted that..."

"Oh, stop it." And Nya was just as quick to shut him down.

* * *

Ninja training continued as usual today.

Everyone except the ever naive Zane could barely contain their laughter when Kai arrived at the ninja base for today's training session and Nya shrugged a little too innocently when he glared at her.

"Training will proceed as usual. You were lucky to complete your previous missions in one piece. Lady Luck can be cruel so you must be prepared for whatever fate will have in store for you." Wu gave one of his many lectures to his students, "Oh, and try not to suffer any wardrobe malfunctions if you will." He added while glancing at the fire ninja, much to his humiliation.

Iris was about to get ready for training until Master Wu spoke to her.

"Iris, you will be training with Cole today." He told the pink kunoichi.

"What? Why?" Iris wondered why Wu made the arrangement.

"Metal is purified and refined earth yet the impurities of raw earth is ever present in metal. They are both sturdy elements that support the other elements, offer protection, and require a lot of strength to control. You two possess a strong will that are compatible with your elements. However, they're not the exact same and so are the both of you. You are both your own person. You must work together to find what makes each of you unique."

Iris and Cole didn't really interact with each other since that day when the earth ninja convinced the violet-eyed girl to put her hair up when training. Wu decided it was time for them to continue getting to know one another.

"Are you ready?" Cole asked his teammate before adapting a fighting stance.

"Of course." Iris brandished her sword and shield.

"Begin the match!" Master Wu ordered their bout to begin.

The steadfast ninja seemed locked in a perpetual stare down. Neither Cole nor Iris were sure what the other was planning. Their fingers twisted ever so slightly around the handles of their weapons and the silence was broken only by their gentle footsteps as they slowly circled around the edge of the arena. The other ninja were watching and were quickly losing their patience just seeing them do nothing but send death glares at one another.

"Oh my freakin' god! Just do something already!" Lloyd blew up once he lost his patience.

"Jump up, kick back, whip around, and spin!" Kai's atrocious singing played all of a sudden.

Jay couldn't resist playing the clip on his phone to kill the boredom. Everyone gathered around him to watch the clip and laugh. The fire ninja himself was beyond livid and was already having fantasies that would be too graphic for a T-rated story. Somehow, even Cole and Iris joined their teammates to watch the hothead's latest attempt to sing.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be training!?" Kai was taken aback by the dueling ninja appearing next to the others all of a sudden.

"How can we not watch it? It's funny!" Iris laughed along with everyone, even Zane.

"What are we laughing about?" The android asked after regaining his composure.

"I'm gonna get you one day." The red ninja growled at his sister, still as pissed off as ever.

"It's worth it." The kunoichi of water shrugged off her brother's fiery rage.

There's no greater joy than putting a smile on everyone's faces and her video proved just that.

* * *

 **Yeah, Nya. You know what's up.**

 **Did any of you find the Black Panther line? Also, there's an important reason why I had Heather pick alstroemeria flowers for Zane. You'll find out why in the distant future. I also couldn't resist putting in the Weekend Whip into the story since they already put it in the actual movie.**

I would also like to apologize for taking so long to upload since this site was down for most of the day.

 **Don't forget to review!**


	33. Sweet as Strawberries

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Today, the good ol' ninja quality time & humor continues with even more interactions as well as Kai planning the ultimate revenge.**

 **Will he get back at Nya for that video? Read on to find out!**

* * *

Chapter 32: Sweet as Strawberries

What could possibly be the worst rendition of 'The Weekend Whip' played in the ninja base.

Everyone except a certain fire ninja laughed at the video playing on Jay's phone that became a literal overnight sensation with over one hundred thousand views already.

The jaded Master Wu didn't think much of his students' schadenfreude. It was something that every teen apparently had and Wu would know since he used to be a teen himself. Some people grew out of it while others didn't… like his own brother for example.

And he will take over Ninjago if the ninja aren't ready.

"Cole, Iris. You still have that duel." He reminded two of his apprentices, "As for the rest of you, don't play that video anymore for the rest of the day. I don't want you to get distracted from your duties."

Kai internally sighed in relief, all attention driven away by that damn video.

"Right..."

The earth ninja and kunoichi of metal went back to staring at each other in the arena.

Finally, Iris was the first to make her move. She swung her sword at Cole but the earth ninja was quick to dodge her blade. It was his turn to swing his hammer, which the swifter kunoichi of metal managed to evade. Neither opponent wanted to go all out right at the start. They thought it wiser to stand their ground as long as they could and only strike when they thought it best.

Meanwhile, the other ninja were bored and couldn't find anything better to do now that Wu banned them from playing that clip. With the dueling pair's fighting style prioritizing defense, there wasn't as much action as the ninja would expect and quickly grew tired of watching the duel.

While his students couldn't care less on what's going if there wasn't any real action, Master Wu read every single movement. Even the simplest motion told him a lot about the dueling ninja and kunoichi. Both of them didn't waste any movements and each one said a lot about them. The kunoichi of metal and the earth ninja had their differences and Wu can tell Cole and Iris have only just started to branch out as individuals.

"That's enough," He stopped the duel, "Not every match will have a winner and loser. I've witnessed enough from the two of you to see that your journey of self-discovery has only begun. You each have your differences."

"What difference is there? All they did was stare at each other." Aria interrupted.

"There is much for you to learn before you can see what can't be seen with the naked eye." Wu said, brandishing his bamboo staff from out of nowhere to smack his student on the head for being rude.

The other ninja and kunoichi still couldn't decipher their teacher's strange metaphors.

Such is the life of a ninja...

* * *

Kai and Nya were just about ready to go home when Cole joined up with them.

"You mind me joining you?" The earth ninja asked the Hinata siblings.

"Uh… what's the occasion…?" Kai asked.

"I just feel like it." The laid-back ninja shrugged.

"Sure. Why not?" Nya invited him along.

The trio headed off for the Ignacia district, chatting along the way, particularly about music.

"I'm guessing you're a fan of The Fold." Cole said to Kai. Being a music lover, he was more focused on the song that played in the video than the fire ninja's bad singing… that is after he got all the laughter out of his system.

"Yeah. Their songs are catchy. Lloyd got me into them." Kai confessed.

"What kind of songs do you like?" The earth ninja asked.

"I like anything with a fast tempo and pretty much anything I can dance to."

"You... dance...?"

Kai tried pulling up his jacket to hide his face. He could feel the humiliation coming back and couldn't bring himself to say any more.

"What about you, Nya?" Cole diverted his attention to the kunoichi of water.

"I can't say if I have a 'real' favorite artist or genre though I have to admit I'm a fan of N-Pop Girl. Then again, is there anyone in Ninjago City who isn't?" Nya shrugged.

"N-Pop Girl's pretty great too."

"You like pop music too?" Kai finally spoke again.

"Of course." Cole answered, as straightforward as ever.

"I thought you only like rock. It's the only thing you ever play on that radio." The red ninja pointed out.

"Like I said when we first met, I like all kinds of music. I just have a special place in my heart for rock." The earth ninja reminded the siblings of their first meeting.

"Why?" Nya asked.

"I just do." Cole shrugged off the siblings' questions.

"Is there anything you like besides music or are you just like Luna?" Kai narrowed his fiery amber eyes with slight annoyance.

"Funny hearing that question from the hothead who does nothing blow up over the smallest things or get all protective of Lloyd and Nya." Cole scoffed.

"I-I'm not _that_ bad!" The red ninja stammered while the other two companions snickered.

"I guess that's why Master Wu chose us to be ninja," The earth ninja said, "There could be much more to ourselves than we realize..."

"Yeah. I like to believe I'm still my own individual person even if I never wanted to be just like Lady Iron Dragon." Nya added.

"Nya, we're here." Kai told his sister before she could get carried away and keep walking off.

"I knew that." The silver kunoichi dismissed him a little too quickly.

"We'll see you at school." The siblings parted ways with their friend.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." The earth ninja bade the siblings farewell before heading home himself.

'Not that I can really call that place home...' He thought to himself bitterly.

Cole knew what was waiting for him back home: a father who puts absolutely no effort to even try to understand him in a society of selfish snobs. But as much as he hated it, it was still home… for now. He was tempted to stay out in the city a while longer but the last thing he wanted was his father nagging him even more than usual about trying to blend in with 'uncultured swines'.

As far as Cole was concerned, the ninja were not uncultured swines. They accepted him for liking rock and all kinds of music or at least don't berate him as much. If only he could leave it all behind… but he knew he won't make it out in the world alone the way he is now.

'Guess I can't have everything I want...'

Sometimes, this is just the way the cookie crumbles...

* * *

It wasn't long after the video of Kai maiming the performing arts went up on PewTube when the fiery teen showed up on yet another video but this one won't be about him. This time, he was completely sure that no one else was home and then locked his bedroom door and covered all the windows. Now that he prevented any kind of interruptions, he finally got started on getting the ultimate revenge. He turned on the webcam, ready to reveal a deep, dark secret that will change the world forever.

"Hey, Ninjago. Kai here. You may recognize me as that guy who danced and sang 'The Weekend Whip' in just his boxers. Yes, you all laughed but guess what? None of you will remember that after watching this video and you will be laughing so hard you'll rupture your spleens." Kai paused in a melodramatic manner before he revealed another terrible secret to the world. He held on to a certain object, never letting it escape from his grasp until the time is right.

"You see, there's a lot of people who have their own dirty little secrets… including Nya. You may all see her as the girl who has it all: beauty, brains, and brawn. But don't let her achievements fool you! She's not so great and you'll never see her the same ever again once I show you what she's _really_ like!"

Kai held up the object in his hands for the whole world to see. In his hands was a pair of white panties with little strawberries printed all over them and it even had a tiny red bow on the front.

"That's right everyone! Hinata Nya, honor roll student, greatest swimmer to grace Ninjago High, and the biggest candidate of being the Lady Iron Dragon of her generation, wears cute strawberry panties! Not so badass now, is she!?"

And now, all Kai had to do was sit back and have an early celebration on getting his revenge, which will probably taste sweeter than, well, strawberries.

* * *

Today has got to be _the_ worst day of Hinata Nya's life.

Students everywhere gawked at her while she walked down the halls of Ninjago High. Some of them whispered amongst themselves but the strong-willed girl didn't need to guess what they were talking about. There were more than a few oafish jocks that sent lewd stares her way and some bitches were already spreading malicious rumors about her, especially one that claimed Nya may have some even more childish undergarments. Some of the braver (or dumber) students started chanting disparaging nicknames such as 'Ichigo' or 'Lady Iron Strawberry' from those who know of her deep admiration of the storied warrior while she continued wandering through the hall.

Meanwhile, Kai thought this was going to be the best day of his life but things weren't going exactly as he originally hoped.

Much to Kai's chagrin, nobody seemed to have forgotten about his Weekend Whip video either. Many students still laughed at him instead of Nya. The silver kunoichi would've joined in if it weren't for the new levels of rage she reached because of him. As if to rub salt on the wound for the Hinata siblings, the school even started a poll on which video was more humiliating. So far, it seems to be a tie. Still, it didn't make them any less pissed off at one another.

"This is all _your_ fault," Kai hissed at Nya, "You were the one who posted that video in the first place."

Instead of saying anything, the kunoichi of water stomped on the fire ninja's foot as hard as she could, forcing him to limp the rest of the way down the hall.

The siblings finally caught up with their teammates and it was obvious they all saw the video too.

Jay squeaked and couldn't bring himself to even look at Nya without his body temperature matching that of Garmadon's fiery volcano lair nor seeing Kai's video play in his head. Nya's friends only looked at her with pitiful expressions. Zane was as oblivious as ever with that unnatural smile of his and Cole rolled his eyes at the sibling rivalry that's getting way out of hand.

"Don't. Say. Anything." Nya glowered at the group, immediately silencing them, at least towards her.

"Kai… did you seriously go through your own sister's underwear? That's _really_ messed up..." Heather's face contorted with disgust.

"So is recording your own brother dancing in _his_ boxers!" The fire ninja tried to justify his actions.

"Who do you think will kill the other first?" Aria was already making bets with the group, much to Nya and Kai's burgeoning aggravation, "My money's on Nya."

"Eh, you'll live through this." Lloyd said flatly.

"Are you kidding me!?" The Hinata siblings stared at their childhood friend like he suddenly sprouted five eyes and thirteen legs.

"You think you got it bad? No video could ever top the self-loathing and despair I go through on a daily basis. This is nothing." The green ninja with his two eyes and two legs said as deadpan as ever.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing..." Jay muttered.

The warning bell rang but failed to diminish the tension between the humiliated pair. The other ninja knew they'll have to avoid them if they want to make it out of high school alive...

* * *

During lunch, Jay and Aria tried coming up with their own unique mechs. Because both of them were assigned to airborne elements, they thought it would be appropriate for them to pilot an aircraft. But they were still working on some differences for each of their mechs and it wasn't as easy as it sounds.

"If my element is lightning, then I might have to install something electric conductors on my mech as well as some waterproof material. Can't have my mech busting out on me when it rains." Jay showed his teammate some rough sketches of his ideas.

"I don't know if my mech will get to do much. My element is wind and it's already gonna fly." Aria tried to think of something that only her mech could do.

"Your element is wind so maybe you could get some extra turbines or rotors." Jay suggested.

"But won't that make it no different from any other airplane or stuff like that?" The kunoichi of wind still couldn't find the right design, even with the inventive ninja's guidance.

"Coming up with stuff like this takes time," The blue ninja said, "Believe me. I know from experience."

"How long did it take you to invent some new stuff?"

"Oh boy… There's a lot but I think one of my longest projects was making a fusion of a paraglider and a bicycle. I took me about… let me count… four months to complete."

"And how did it go?"

Jay's habit of hiding his face in his scarf pretty much answered Aria's question though it didn't hide the face that he had a lot of knowledge about machines and technology.

"You know, you're actually much smarter than people here say you are. You really helped me come up with a design for my mech in the last couple of days. You know a lot about machines and technology, perhaps even more than some grown-ups I know." Aria said, amazed by Jay's penchant for inventing.

"I wouldn't really say that..." Jay blushed, never being used to receiving compliments.

"Sure you are. Stop acting like you're not good at anything."

"Have you even seen me try to use that kusarigama? I can never train without getting all tangled up. If Master Wu was going to give us a unique weapon, he should've at least given me something that isn't too fancy like a pair of nunchucks -"

"Okay, fine. You're not good at everything but so am I. So is everyone else in Ninjago." Aria halted the lightning ninja before he got too carried away, which seemed to be just one of his quirks.

"Do you think we'll be able to defeat Garmadon?" Jay asked.

"Don't ask me," Aria shrugged, "There's still a lot about this ninja stuff I don't know. We know Master Wu's that kind of guy who probably knows the solution to everything but never tells us. It's annoying and it's kind of a pain to even bother."

"Are you already thinking about quitting?"

"Wait, what?"

"You do tend to join clubs and then ditch them. Are you gonna do the same with the ninja?" The blue ninja was aware of his teammate's reputation as a capricious girl who seemed to possess no sense of commitment and even an airhead at worst.

"That's none of your business!" Aria yelled at the shy ninja, turning him into a whimpering mess, "My life isn't for anyone to decide, not even myself!"

"That doesn't make any -"

"It doesn't have to! It's my life!"

Aria marched for the door but something was wrong. She twisted the knob but the door won't open.

"Oh my god, we're trapped!" The orange kunoichi panicked, "There's no way out! We're stuck! Wait… we got our phones! We can call emergency or -"

The sound of the door creaking interrupted the olive-skinned girl's rambling and much to her surprise, the door was opened with no problems by Jay.

"Uh… you were turning the knob the wrong way." The blue ninja meekly explained.

"This is just between you and me, okay?" Aria narrowed her eyes at him and walked back, only to hit her back against the edge of the door. Her yelp caught Jay off guard and he accidentally flung the door at her, hitting her right in the face.

"I-I'm sorry!" The timid boy stammered and tried to help her.

"DON'T!" She stopped him, "Just. Don't."

Looks like Kai and Nya aren't the only people in school everyone else will have avoid today...

* * *

It was yet another day of training at the ninja base but when the ninja and kunoichi changed into their gi today, the atmosphere was even more tense.

"Tell me, was she wearing _those_?" Kai interrogated the girls besides his sister.

The other kunoichi couldn't bring themselves to respond at all nor even look at him in the face.

"While we're at it, did _he_ wear _those_?" Nya retorted.

"Cut it out you two." Lloyd pushed the squabbling siblings apart, "I don't think any of us want the base to be discovered by the rest of Ninjago City right now as the site of a gruesome murder."

"So who'll kill who first?" The other ninja whispered amongst themselves, still betting on who'll be the victim and who'll be the murderer.

"Get serious." The green ninja groaned.

"We are." Cole smirked.

Before they could resume their training, the ninja were stopped by Master Wu. Knowing him, he was probably gonna go off on another cryptic lecture.

"Oh god, what now?" Lloyd was annoyed by his uncle's strange ways.

"Instead of training, you'll have to read the Ninjology books again." Wu informed his apprentices.

"What!? I thought we were done with those!" Iris exclaimed.

"You were all lucky to make it out of your first two missions alive and what you've faced so far is only a small fraction of the true threat that will inevitably come. In order to be a true ninja, you must possess not only raw strength but knowledge of the way of the ninja at all times. You haven't forgotten any of the contents of the book, have you?" Wu asked.

"Of course not!" Heather said so quickly her teacher wasn't convinced.

"If that's so, then tell me... what was the main subject of chapter two?"

"It's… uh… um..." The kunoichi of nature found herself unable to remember what it was about, much to her embarrassment.

"That's all I need to hear," Wu dismissed her, "I'll go fetch the books -"

"Master Wu, wait! Not all of us forgot everything! It's just Heather!" The red ninja spoke up, ignoring his teammate staring at him and never feeling as tempted to strangle him as ever before but can only mouth some words that would've changed the rating for this story.

"Gasp." Zane read her lips and knew exactly what she would've said.

"Then why don't _you_ tell us?" The old mentor goaded the fire ninja to recite the lessons his book had taught the ninja before they started training with weapons.

"Chapter two was about..." Kai paused, "Wait, I got this… It was… Was it about our uniforms?"

And the fire ninja earned himself a headache courtesy of Master Wu's staff.

"Guess it wasn't just me..." The kunoichi of nature glared at the hothead.

"I'm disappointed but not surprised," Wu sighed, "You'll have to read the book once more."

"Rereading information is an efficient way to impart knowledge. I can process why you want us to read your book again." Zane sided with the ninja's mentor.

"Zane, you're such a nerd." Nya sighed.

"Me? A nerd? Do I really possess any similarities to Jay?" The android asked, as naive as ever.

The blue ninja himself was embarrassed by the ice ninja's remark, especially since the silver kunoichi was the one who called the white ninja a nerd in the first place.

"I won't waste any more time. Now read the Ninjology books again." Master Wu passed out the dusty books back to the ninja to refresh their memories.

Most of the ninja were _not_ happy to be stuck reading that stupid book again. They were supposed to make progress, not go back to memorizing a bunch of

Isn't that what their training was really all about?

"I can't believe Master Wu's making us do a bunch of schoolwork again." Iris complained.

"This is not schoolwork because we are not at -"

"We get it." The pink kunoichi stopped the ice ninja, not hiding the irritation in her voice.

Master Wu observed his students as he usually does during all the training sessions. He may be strict at times but he understood how frustrated they were today, remembering when he was just like that back when he and his brother started training in the way of the ninja.

Thoughts of the dark lord served to remind the old man of the happier times they had together… and when things between them began to fall apart. The younger Wu often wished for everything to return to the way they were back then. Now, as an old man, he knew better than to dwell over the past and try to meddle with events that have already come to pass. The road to discovering one's destiny is one full of hardships and trials, another piece of wisdom Wu gained from all his experiences.

He also knew that confrontation with his brother will also be inevitable.

But if there's one thing Wu was grateful for despite the way things are between him and Garmadon, at least their sibling rivalry (so far) hasn't reached the level of Kai and Nya.

* * *

 **In all seriousness, don't reveal other people's underwear to the world.**

 **Will Kai & Nya ever forgive each other? And when will Wu and Garmadon have their next confrontation? Stick around to find answers to even more dumb questions & review!**


	34. Untold Secrets

**Discovering Destiny**

 **It's time for another update! For this chapter, we'll see how Wu's faring teaching his students the way of the ninja, a moment with Ray & Maya that may hold some secrets, & this story will return to some action. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 33: Untold Secrets

The last few 'training sessions' the Secret Ninja Force have gone through was doing nothing but read Master Wu's Ninjology book and the young teens were quickly growing tired of it.

"This is such a pain..." Nya sighed, "I didn't sign up to be a ninja just to play scholar."

"Master Wu, when will we get to do some real training?" Heather complained.

"You are," The old teacher answered flatly, "Training entails much more than martial arts and physical activities. The mind is just as important as power, perhaps even more depending on the situation."

"Yeah right," Kai rolled his hot amber eyes, "It's not like Garmadon's gonna show up and challenge us to a game of chess."

"There is no need for concern when such an event comes to pass. I have lever lost any chess match I took part in." Zane quipped, still having yet to grasp even the basic concept of sarcasm.

"That is not the kind of mental strength I meant." Wu pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated by his students failing to realize what was really important. They were still new to the way of the ninja but it still wouldn't hurt for them to be a little more earnest with anything besides training with weapons.

"But Master Wu, Garmadon could be planning his next move as we speak. Don't you think we should at least be as productive if we are to stop him?" Heather pointed out.

"I know the kind of person my brother truly is and you must prepare both your body _and_ mind if you seek to fulfill your duties as ninja." The elderly mentor said yet again.

At least the ninja now knew why people say you should be careful what you wish for...

* * *

During the ninja's break, Cole and Zane found themselves working together again. This time, the black and white ninja were busy thinking about what they want their mechs to be like. They liked receiving feedback so they can come up with the ultimate mech or at least ones without any glaring flaws.

"Forgive my curiosity but I would like to know what features you intend to install to your ideal mech." Zane spoke first.

"I'm definitely gonna have some big woofers," Cole replied, "But I also gotta make sure it can also fight so I'm also gonna give it some really strong arms."

"So it will be similar to Kai's mech?"

"There's definitely gonna be some similarities but in the end, each of them will be one of a kind. Now tell me what _you_ plan for your mech to have."

"Ever since Master Wu told me I have an affiliation with ice, I have wondered what he meant when he said I have much in common with my element." The robot answered.

"What do you think about being the ice ninja?"

"I have yet to form any conclusive opinions regarding my element. Even I do not possess any control or powers over ice. But because it is my assigned element, I believe my mech should possess them."

"I think Master Wu was being metaphorical as usual. It's like that astrology stuff where some signs are affiliated with certain elements, kinda like how Kai's element is fire. It's no surprise with that temper."

"Yet I continue failing to fathom my connection with ice. To strike like the icy chill of winter… and being much more than what meets the eye or however you say it… I do like the idea of it. I prefer to think I am more than just a… machine..."

"I'm not one for dictating other people's lives but I'll say this. All that matters is that you are you." Cole told his robot companion.

Zane wondered if he thought too much about his physiology and his differences because of it and not through his personality and quirks if they can be called that. The android found himself thinking a little much into them again. Maybe he should try to follow Cole's example and not concern himself with the opinions of others. Even his father often tells him that his own beliefs matter more than theirs...

"I almost forgot," Cole spoke again, "Do you have any plans for _your_ mech?"

"I have looked to the snowmobile for inspiration but I feel I may need something much larger and with genuine combat capabilities to conceive an idea for a mech that could subdue the Shark Army as well as matching my element." The robot answered.

"Other than I ideas I told you, I don't have much plans beyond that. I'm not that great with machines."

"I would have informed Father of Lloyd's project and of our designs if we had not sworn ourselves to Master Wu's vow of secrecy."

"Don't say it like that. You'll make it sound like we're in some weird cult or hiding a terrible secret."

"But is concealing our identities as vigilantes already a terrible secret?"

The earth ninja found the humanoid's naivete both endearing and frustrating at the same time. It was almost like trying to explain the birds and the bees to a toddler. Still, he was of a mellow temper and he didn't mind being with the white ninja, no matter how naive he was.

"Cole! Zane! It's time to do training again!" Heather called out to the pair.

The black and white ninja knew they'll have to wait some other time to continue working on ideas for their mechs. For now, they had to uphold their vows and continue following the way of the ninja.

* * *

Tonight, the Hinata siblings' parents made sure they won't be making any more embarrassing videos.

Ever since both videos were posted, Ray and Maya forbade their siblings from going into each other's rooms and even made sure their bedroom doors were locked whenever they were doing homework. With Kai and Nya busy with academic duties and practically sealed off from one another, this gave the Hinata couple some time to themselves.

"It's been a while since we really spent time together, hasn't it?" Ray teased his wife with light kisses on her neck.

"Ray, we're always together when we're home." Maya jested back before kissing him in return.

"Kai and Nya have grown so fast," The mustached man reminisced on his children's journeys through life, "It feels like yesterday when they were just toddlers."

"I know how you feel. It feels like yesterday when they were our little treasures. Now, Kai's one of the greatest students in Ronin's Kendo School and Nya's shaping out to be the greatest swimmer to have ever attended Ninjago High. I hope the future has many more opportunities for them..." Maya sighed.

The couple watched the news to see if anything happened, especially if that new 'Secret Ninja Force' have decided to show up for a third time. Several minutes have passed until Garmadon sabotaged all the TV broadcasts to send another message to intimidate the civilians into submission.

"Don't think I'm through with Ninjago just yet!" Garmadon cackled, "The Secret Ninja Force are just a bunch of upstarts who'll never stand a chance!"

"That Garmadon never knows when to give up, does he?" Ray narrowed his eyes at the dark lord.

"I'm more concerned about what his evil ambitions could mean for our children," Maya responded, "I don't want to think too much into it but do you think he'll do anything to Kai and Nya?"

"I don't know. He does have a son of his own. Judging from the times he came over, Lloyd seems to be a good kid. I feel a little bad for him. The whole world seems to really hate him but if there's anyone to blame for all the terrible things that happen to Ninjago, it's Garmadon alone."

"And what of his wife? She did choose to be with him… and then leave him."

"From what I've heard, she left Garmadon so Lloyd won't turn out like him. Maybe he's only gone back to trying to conquer Ninjago recently because of his wife and son. You can never tell with Garmadon."

"But I'm still concerned of how this could affect _our_ children."

"We both know they'll have to find out the truth one day..."

The Hinata couple knew this was a time of relative peace in comparison to the Warring Era. They were young during those difficult years and after all they've seen and went through, Ray and Maya wanted nothing more than for their children to always live in safety, comfort, and happiness.

"Ninjago City has only seen the Secret Ninja Force twice," Maya brought up the strange new team of vigilantes that have only shown up recently, "There seems to be ten of them but Garmadon has a big army of followers. I'm worried about what this could mean for our children's future. We have done so much to ensure it..."

"The Secret Ninja Force still seem so young. They'll need all the luck they could get if they really plan on stopping Garmadon." Ray responded.

"Will they? Will they be able to drive him back?"

"No one can know for certain… All we can do is hope for the best..."

Ray and Maya knew there were many secrets hidden in Ninjago and that no matter what they do, Kai and Nya will discover them one day. They can never delay the inevitable but all the Hinata couple can hope for is that their children be ready when they do...

* * *

Lloyd was bored out of his mind during today's math class. His mind drifted back to his Mech Dragon. He may not want to face his father now, especially with the way the ninja are now, but he was looking forward to flying with what could be his greatest creation.

For all his cynicism, Lloyd possessed a pretty big imagination when it comes to his very few joys in life, such as creating and building things.

He thought of flying on his dragon over the skyscrapers of Ninjago City or even fly away from there. He won't have to live under his father's nefarious reputation anywhere else. If he was lucky, there could also be candy aplenty and no one would ever say no if he wanted to eat at least four lollipops a day or use soda in place of mouthwash.

Outside of school where Lloyd got caught up in his more indulgent fantasies, trouble was brewing.

The fish market was one of the busier parts of the city during the day. It was where the people of the city got a large portion of their food and despite its name, sold much more than fish. The market also sold fresh produce, quality cuts of meat, and any kind of food one could imagine. With so many men, women, and children, there were plenty of people for Garmadon to subjugate to his rule. His servants suddenly appeared and wasted no time harassing the locals.

All the TVs in the school were turned on once word of the Shark Army arrived.

"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news! The Shark Army have started an attack on the fish market!" The reporters informed everyone in Ninjago on Garmadon's latest scheme.

"It's Garmadon!" Everyone in Ninjago High panicked. This was the first time the dark lord orchestrated an attack during this time of day.

"Students! Hide under your desks until the situation is under control!" Ms. Turner ordered everyone in the classroom to seek cover.

Everyone, including Lloyd, ducked underneath the desks or huddled by the walls but that didn't lessen the other teens' hatred of the pariah.

"This is all your fault!" Some of the students glared at the dark lord's son from under their desks.

"Yeah! Thanks a lot, Lloyd!" The other teens still found an opportunity to make Lloyd's life miserable in such a serious situation.

Lloyd knew that no matter how much every teen here despised math, they'll just be pissed off at him for ruining their daily routine, no matter how much of it they hated. Instead, his classmates should be _thanking_ him for interrupting such a boring class but alas, the son is just as guilty as the father.

"Is the Secret Ninja Force coming again?" The outcast caught whispers of the alliance he was part of.

'Of course they're not coming,' He answered to himself, 'How could they come to the rescue if they're trapped right here?' Lloyd wondered how his teammates were doing and what they could be thinking. It's no doubt the Hinata siblings would be upset over being stuck here away from the action.

But the Secret Ninja Force weren't the only people who opposed Garmadon and the Shark Army...

The Shark Army raided the fish market and generally caused havoc. All Lord Garmadon told them was to weaken anyone who dare oppose him but as far as they were concerned, fish markets don't pose a threat. It's not like they could question him unless they want to be fired out of the volcano like all the previous General #1 and anyone who dare speak up in defiance.

The Shark Army were confronted by not the ninja but Master Wu alone. All the old man had to defend himself and fight was his simple bamboo staff.

"Looks like the Secret Ninja Force really are a bunch of posers!" General #1 taunted, "If that moron in green said they'll stop us, where are they now?"

The old man remained silent, his long beard swaying in the mandatory breeze before the battle.

"Now tell us where the ninja are!" The dark lord's minions demanded Wu to reveal his secrets.

"The only way to find out is through sheer force… and sheer force alone is never enough..." Not even his brother's lackeys were safe from the elderly man's needlessly cryptic metaphors.

"If you won't give any information to us… WE'LL TAKE IT!" The Shark Army threatened him.

Knowing a battle will happen regardless, Wu charged at the Shark Army, who unleashed their weapons in response. Too bad the experienced old man knew that was exactly what they would do. He swiftly veered to the side and struck the nearest minions with his far-reaching staff. The Shark Army couldn't believe how steadfast the old geezer was. No matter how ferocious they got in battle, he managed to stay one step ahead, somehow able to predict their every move.

The civilians watched in awe as Master Wu took the advantage in the fight between him and the much younger (and inexperienced) Shark Army. Like his brother, Wu already made a name for himself during the Warring Era as a very skilled fighter and it was apparent that he never forgot his abilities and time failed to slow him down. The retired warrior made the Shark Army look like… well… the Shark Army as he kicked their asses. He observed how reliant they were on their crude weapons and the tactics that came up from the top of their heads while having absolutely no strategy. Wu quickly formulated a plan and used his staff not to attack but to throw them off guard. It was only when his opponents lost their weapons did he unleash his fury, though not on them. Wu crushed every weapon they had, similar to how the green ninja disarmed the previous Shark Army gang that tried to invade Ninjago City.

"I will leave you to face the consequences of your actions," Wu turned his back on his now powerless foes, "I'm sure you know what awaits you shall you return to Garmadon's lair. Return at your own peril if that's what you wish."

And keeping up with being the token mysterious old mentor, Master Wu left the scene as suddenly as he had shown up. The civilians had a feeling he'll be doing that a lot...

* * *

The very first thing that came across the minds of the young ninja when they reached their stronghold was their teacher's wellbeing.

"Master Wu! Are you okay?" Heather checked on her teacher.

"I have fared worse. I'll live." Wu dismissed the teal kunoichi's concerns.

"Still, Ninjago City will need more than you to protect it when _we_ can't." Kai pointed out.

"How will we be able to fend off the Shark Army if they come up while we're in school?" Iris asked.

"Also, if the ninja only show up when we're gone, won't everyone else at school get suspicious?" Aria brought up the risk their new lives could pose.

Master Wu always knew his students' concerns of suspicion and the risk of discovery long before the kunoichi of wind brought it up. Lady Iron Dragon did keep her duties separate from her personal life, at least until she faded into history and stories. Running away and hiding is a choice anyone can make but nobody could ever escape from the truth, no matter how much impact it could make. That impact could arrive any time… but not right now.

"No person is ever perfect, including myself and my brother. A time will come when you have no other choice but to do what must be done as ninja."

"That… doesn't really help..." Jay spoke and all of his teammates agreed.

"You can't expect help to arrive every time you seek it," Wu gave his apprentices another harsh lesson in life, "Instead of seeking assistance in every obstacle, you need to help yourselves. One can't defend their homes and anyone else if they can't defend themselves.

"Wait, how are we even gonna fight the Shark Army during school?" Nya complained.

"I will take care of them while you continue your lives outside of your duties until the time comes..."

"What time? And how will you be able to protect the city by yourself?" Even Cole was worried that the old man may not last by the time he and the others will be able to fight off the Shark Army.

"I think today's events already answered your question." His mentor answered as calm as ever.

The ninja and kunoichi can't deny that their teacher was much more experienced in combat but at the same time, he was past his prime. They feared that one day, his advanced age will exhaust him before they'll be able to fight Garmadon and his minions whenever they try to invade the city.

"Now, you must continue relearning the contents of the Ninjology book. I will not be hearing any more complaints after today's events." Wu retreated to a corner of the warehouse and helped himself to a much-needed cup of tea to calm his senses.

* * *

While the ninja suffered yet another study session, some of them came up with an idea. Training may be their top priority but they were more than just ninja. After all, that's what Master Wu told them. At least their still barren stronghold could reflect that.

"You know, I'm starting to realize something..." Iris started.

"Do tell us." Zane encouraged the kunoichi of metal to continue.

"All we do is train and chat, not counting Lloyd who's always huddled up in the corner working on his mech and all that stuff." The violet-eyed said, ignoring the green ninja's indignant glare.

"So what you're saying is… we're not doing enough…?" Aria couldn't quite understand what the pink kunoichi was talking about. It seems progress will have to wait for her.

"No. I was thinking that if this will be our own secret, why not personalize it a bit? We could put up a bunch of stuff like books we actually like to read, video games, and other neat things." The kunoichi of metal already thought of some things to add to the ninja's lair.

"Since we're gonna be spending a lot of time here from now on, I do agree that we could spruce this place up a bit." Heather added.

"Yeah. There isn't much to do here when we're not training." Kai agreed.

"Says the guy who's always training, protecting Lloyd, and absolutely nothing else." Nya teased.

The fire ninja glared at his sister but he didn't want to risk being humiliated again.

"As long as I got my radio, I'm fine with it," The relaxed Cole shrugged, "What do _you_ think, Lloyd?"

"I have to admit I never really put much thought into it..." The green ninja answered sheepishly.

"It's no surprise," Kai quipped, "Every time we get a break, you do nothing but work on those mechs."

"Hey! I happen to _like_ working on the mechs so it doesn't count!" Lloyd was annoyed by his own allies constantly poking fun at him and his hobby.

"Anyway, do you think having a bunch of other stuff in here will be a good idea?" Heather still had no idea what to make of personalizing the ninja hideout while still unable to deny she was feeling a sense of excitement over it.

"Are you focusing on your task?" Master Wu suddenly popped up next to his students.

"O-of course!" The ninja whipped out their Ninjology books. Wu can tell they weren't really focusing. A couple of his students even had their books upside-down. With his keen ears, he was aware of what they were really talking about and he actually did like for them to have new ideas.

Being a ninja wasn't all about power and victory. The ninja will also have to discover themselves and if it adding personal touches to their base can help them learn about one another, then he'll bear no ill will to them for doing so. Even Wu started finding the simple warehouse a bit bland and with the plot starting to get deeper, it may be time to welcome some changes…

* * *

 **Don't worry. We might see some more action later as the story gets closer to the events of the movie while the ninja start coming up with their mechs & develop their skills with their weapons. I don't want to rush anything so please be patient. As always, please review.**


	35. Pimp My Base

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! This time, we'll take a peek at life with the Walkers (which could make a good sitcom title), some more interactions while the ninja try sprucing up their base, & stick around for the big doozy at the end! Read on!**

* * *

Chapter 34: Pimp My Base

Today may be the first time the Secret Ninja Force were looking forward to meeting up at the hideout for another reason besides training, chatting, or in Lloyd's case, building mechs. As boring as it was to keep reading that stupid Ninjology book, they were willing to put up with it until it's break time. Soon, the moment they've been waiting for arrived. From this day forth, the ninja's secret base will become more than a simple hideout. It'll become something of a safe haven where they can be free to be who they are, away from any prejudice and judgement from school peers and even family.

"What do you think we should add to the base?" Jay asked, examining the mostly empty space. He did like the idea of adding more things but he didn't think his teammates would like their stronghold to be filled with nothing but tools and gadgets only a tech geek like him would like.

"We could put up a TV," Kai suggested, "Ever since I joined the Secret Ninja Force, I missed a bunch of shows I usually like to watch."

"And it will also be an efficient way to be informed of Garmadon's attacks." Zane agreed.

"But that means we'll have to buy a new one. We won't be able to do that without our parents finding out." Luna pointed out.

"I have a bunch of TVs at my house. I could bring one of them over here if you want." Jay offered.

"Why would you have all that stuff?" Heather inquired the blue ninja.

"Whenever my parents buy a new TV, computer, phone, or any of that stuff, we save the old ones for spare parts. My family are inventors so we're always coming up with new gadgets and we usually end up needing some extra equipment.

"Wouldn't your old TVs be busted or too old to use?" Cole asked.

"And what if none of them are intact?" The cynical Lloyd still doubted the lightning ninja could bring a TV to the lair though no more than getting it to work.

"I could fix one up once I find a way to bring it here," Jay still insisted, "If my parents were able to find a way to make espresso with old socks, then I could give it a shot."

The other ninja and kunoichi had no idea what to make of the blue ninja's strange comparison. Some stories _are_ better left unheard and this could very well be one of them.

"Looks like Jay's in charge of the TV. Now what else could we add to the base?" Iris turned to the rest of the ninja for ideas.

"As long as we could play games on the TV, I don't really know what else we could add to this place..." Lloyd replied.

"It's time to resume training." Master Wu popped up to remind his pupils of their main task.

Looks like any further plans for their base will have to wait...

* * *

In the Walker family household, it's nigh impossible to look anywhere without seeing a gadget of any sort, from the conventional to the unusual. The Walkers had an affinity for inventing things that went way back to the early days of Ninjago. Adding Jay's great-grandfather coming from the technologically advanced Parsa, the Walker family's penchant for engineering and machinery only became stronger.

Some would expect the Walker family to be wealthy but in contrast to their extensive knowledge and skills with machinery, their lineage never experienced any period of great wealth. They've always lived a humble lifestyle away from their inventions but that was how everyone in the family lived their lives and they couldn't have it any other way. Even Jay, while he still yearned to be part of the more socially adept cliques in school, wouldn't want to trade his modest home life for anything. Even if they can be embarrassing, he still loved his parents and wouldn't trade them for anyone else.

"So Jay, have you been doing any big projects lately?" Ed asked his son during dinner.

Jay now started to regret volunteering to bring a TV to the ninja's base. His parents were way smarter than everyone else in Ninjago City would believe. They could figure out things much faster than most people and they might discover his secret even before he knows it.

"Um… would it be okay if I take one of the old TV to the docks of the city?" Jay finally asked after many moments of nerve-wracking silence.

"Why would you be taking something like that to such a place?" Edna was aware of her family's strong association with inventing but couldn't help but wonder why her son made such specific details. Once he had his inventor side in him provoked, he would start working where he stood, no matter what.

The lightning ninja quivered, unsure how to answer without arousing his parents' suspicion.

"Uh… my friends… want to do some experiments… and they're gonna need a TV…" The timid boy said with frequent moments of silence between his words. He can already tell his parents were suspicious. He may be shy in public but with his parents, his mouth could go a mile a minute with no end in sight. If he had trouble talking to them, then something was wrong… very wrong…

"Jay..." Edna stared at her son with scrutinizing eyes… "Did you humiliate yourself at school? None of your pants were dirty when I put them in the laundry -"

"MOM!"

As loving as they were, Jay's parents had the unfortunate habit of always embarrassing their son, even when they were home. Their son's freckled face was redder than Garmadon's eyes while he sank into his seat. However, he still has yet to answer their questions.

"What exactly are you planning to do?" Ed asked again.

"I-it's something my friends really want to do… and I just want to help out..." Jay replied sheepishly.

"But why would you be doing experiments at the docks?" His parents continued questioning him.

"My friends happen to like doing their thing there. Kinda like how you sometimes go to the beach and collect seashells, Mom." Their son pointed out.

"You do have a point..." Edna relented for a moment.

"You know us Walkers can never turn down an opportunity to come up with something original out of things many people would call useless. We still haven't taken anything out of the last TV and I think it could still work. Even if your friends know what they're doing, they're lucky to have a friend like you." Ed also seemed to accept his son's answer.

"You're really gonna help bring it to the docks?" Jay was surprised by his parents' acceptance.

"Sure. I have plenty of time tomorrow. Now what time should I bring it over?" Ed offered.

"I'd say the sooner, the better."

"Then we'll take it there first thing in the morning."

Jay sighed in relief, his secret safe (for the moment). He was truly grateful that tomorrow is a Saturday.

* * *

It was morning at the docks when Jay and his father arrived and unloaded their previous TV from the family's gaudy car.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" Ed asked, wanting to make sure his son and his friends knew what they were getting themselves into. The Walker family understood much better than anyone else that one can only come so far through much trial and error. It naturally came with being inventors.

"Don't worry," His son answered, "As long as it won't be as disastrous as that time I attempted to bake that Mother's Day cake in the drying machine, I can handle this."

"Good luck and don't set any of your clothes on fire!" Ed drove off but not without passing up one last chance to embarrass his son.

"DAD!"

Even with his dad gone, Jay still had someone else to help him...

"Hello, friend." Zane literally slid up next to the blue ninja, startling him.

"Don't do that!" Jay cried.

"I have come to offer assistance as you had asked me to this morning." The android stepped in to help his teammate.

The pair carefully carried the TV all the way to the ninja's base. Fortunately, the warehouse had more than a few electrical outlets inside and the plug managed to fit. Jay turned on the TV with the remote control he was grateful his father also brought to the docks. The screen was a bit fuzzy but the young Walker wasn't new to working with TVs.

"Zane, fetch me some tools. We got a lot of work to do." Jay goaded his teammate to prepare for what may be one of his biggest engineering feats yet.

Along with Zane, who shared the extensive knowledge and wisdom of his father, Jay went straight to work on the TV. The blue ninja's timid disposition seemingly vanished and in the shy boy's place was a brilliant inventor in the making, working to make his ideas become a reality. Even the often naive Zane caught on to how different Jay behaved when he was concentrating on any type of work that involved machines and technology. The way this part of the blue ninja emerged was not dissimilar to lightning flashing every now and then during a dark storm. Master Wu's wisdom seemed to grant him with the ability to see what can't be seen by the naked eye. Maybe Jay does have potential to be a ninja...

* * *

Luna enjoyed spending her weekends walking Lorelei through the streets of Ninjago City. Sometimes, she would get caught up in her sense of satisfaction that she ended up walking for hours. Maybe she should be thankful those training sessions improved her stamina, even if she's still far from becoming a master of the sai.

Even if it wasn't time for the ninja to train yet, there was something else that lured the purple kunoichi to their hideout. Varjo stayed near the warehouse ever since the ninja found her and while Master Wu never voiced any approval of having her around, he didn't seem to have anything against it either. He seemed to have simply come to terms with it and at least Varjo was never a bother. All the ninja have fed the stray dog some food they had lying around their houses but it was mostly Luna and Zane who took care of Varjo, not that they were complaining. Luna, being a dog person, had a bit of a soft spot for the scruffy critter.

This will be the first time Lorelei and Varjo meet. She was aware of how risky it was. Some dogs were friendly and others… not so much. Lorelei never had any issues with aggression but it wasn't often she got up close and personal with other dogs.

Lorelei's ears flattened with caution as she sniffed the strange dog. Varjo crouched in submission and let the German Shepherd inspect her. The two dogs thoroughly sniffed one another and not once did Lorelei show any signs of hostility. She kept her distance after sniffing Varjo but didn't growl and Luna sighed with relief.

"It's almost amusing how even the simplest of creatures can learn to see each other for who they are while some humans never do." An elderly voice interrupted the scene.

Luna was taken by surprise by the voice of her mentor. At the entrance of the warehouse was Master Wu seated in a meditative position with a cup of tea in hand.

"M-Master Wu…!" The kunoichi of sound felt her heart nearly fly out of her chest.

"It will be a long time before you must return here as the kunoichi of sound. What brings you here for the moment?"

The shy girl hesitated, having no idea how to answer. She felt compelled to come here and her duties as a member of the Secret Ninja Force had nothing to do with it. This was the first time she came here for her own reasons, even if it was still for the sake of another…

"You don't need to respond," Wu somehow knew that Luna couldn't think of an answer, "You may not think it now but you are more than even you believe you are."

"N-no… I don't really have much going for me..."

"Your hopes and dreams are all yours but they are not all of you. There are other things you like, good and bad habits, and opinions over serious topics. All those are an important part of the real you. Your ambitions could change but not who you truly are. You also have more potential than you think. Being a kunoichi may help you find it."

Despite training for what could be months, Luna still had doubt in her heart if becoming the kunoichi of sound was the right decision to make. Master Wu sensed her ambivalence and understood her. He made decisions he can never back out on and those he still regrets to this day. Luna may need a lot of help but her mentor was willing to give it to her. He's been through a lot and training a bunch of teens won't be much compared to many of the things he had seen. Sometimes, the seemingly impossible have come to pass and he was ready for anything...

* * *

It was yet another day at Ninjago High for the ninja, which still gave them a lot of opportunities to get to know more about one another, such as today.

"Cole and Heather, you two shall work together as a pair." Mr. Borg paired the earth ninja and kunoichi of nature together for today's experiment over the various reactions of certain chemicals to heat."

Heather didn't mind working with Cole but she guessed that was because she didn't know a whole lot about him. All she knew about the laid-back young man was that he enjoyed music… very loud music. She considered starting a conversation but didn't want to be rude while the earth ninja didn't seem all that interested in doing the same, listening to some soft rock with his headphones.

"Are you two having any trouble?" Mr. Borg questioned the pair, noticing that they were doing nothing but stand around.

"N-not at all..." Heather had to answer for both of them. Luckily, it brought Cole out of his trance.

Once Cole was focused on any task, he won't stop until it's done. He always did, even before he heard of the Secret Ninja Force. He passed the one of the test tubes to Heather, who still seemed annoyed at him for some reason. She held one of the vials over the Bunsen burner but nothing happened. Several moments passed and still nothing. Heather furrowed her brow and clicked her tongue in frustration.

"Heather." Cole interrupted her task.

"What?" The kunoichi of nature hissed at her teammate with aggravation.

"You forgot to turn on the Bunsen burner." The earth ninja pointed at the tool which was off, not one bit unnerved by his partner's growing vexation.

The flower-loving girl felt her face go red with embarrassment. She had a bad habit of forgetting even the most important steps whenever she lost her cool, as well as losing it over such trivial matters. She had a surprisingly short temper for someone with a reputation for being polite and demure. She may not be as bad as Kai (or she hoped she was) but she knew she could use some work on controlling her emotions but like everything else, it's easier said than done. At least Cole seemed to have patience as his face never showed any signs of frustration or disapproval.

"Heather, we gotta write everything in the experiment down." Cole had to remind the teal kunoichi of reality yet again.

After seeing how Kai gets, Cole took Heather's temperamental quirks in stride. He did want to help her just like with everybody else. Right now, it seemed like he had to keep his teammate from letting her temper get the better of her and keep her mind focused on their task. After all, it's the solid earth that keeps trees and any kind of plants rooted to the ground. What this could mean for Heather and Cole, they had yet to truly understand, even though it matches up with the way the earth ninja had to deal with his teammate's temper. Time will tell if their elements' connection will mean anything for them...

* * *

Garmadon fumed in his office. He already (literally) fired more than a few General #1 failures. It seems that no matter what kind of mission he gave the Shark Army, they just can't do it. They may be pawns for the main baddie but he still expected them to have at least some competence in their duties. What he wanted besides conquering Ninjago was simple.

The dark lord knew he can't be around forever. No one can. Should something ever happen to him, he may need someone to carry out his legacy and he already found the right person. He knew who will be the one to succeed him the moment he first laid eyes on that person. The memory of holding him for the very first time was still fresh on his mind.

Koko claimed that because of his reputation, their son was bullied for practically his entire life. When he first heard what was happening to his one and only child, he felt a deep rage unlike any other. Sure, he was short-tempered and there were a lot of things that set him off like his his parents' son's pesky antics and the Shark Army's recent string of failures but the outrage he experienced the moment Koko told him of their son being bullied went beyond the anger that was already present within his soul.

'If we stayed together, then Luh-Loyd would've never been bullied...' Just when Garmadon's thoughts drifted towards his son, something else popped up in his head. It was an idea similar to his ambitions to conquer Ninjago but with another aspect added, much like adding a surprise ingredient to a recipe.

'No… This is different...'

The dark lord was struck with a brief fixation on not conquering Ninjago…

For a moment, he saw himself actually destroying the city and all its inhabitants out of revenge.

But revenge for what?

Was it for Lloyd… or for himself?

Garmadon may be determined to take over Ninjago City but he never had any real love for its people… aside from Koko, but that's all in the past. Luh-Loyd was now the only person in the city with even the slightest bit of value to him. As the only person to share the dark lord's blood besides that creepy old man his ignorant parents seemed to favor, only Luh-Loyd has what it takes to be considered a worthy successor… that is if he can bring him into his ranks. If what Koko said about him being bullied had any truth to it, then that's another reason for him to leave the city behind and join his father. But the main problem is how he can contact his son and convince him to join him.

He was in no mood to go out in public after that incident with Koko. He could still hack into the city's TV networks but it just won't be the same if everyone can see him. But there was still something else he could hack into and find a way to contact Luh-Loyd with little interference. He may have to do some things he didn't want to do but they won't take much away from his ultimate goal. He knew what his next move will be…

"Shark Army Tech Division, I have new orders for you." Lord Garmadon commanded...

* * *

The ninja were back to thinking of other things to add to their hideout. Jay and Zane were busy fixing the TV as their teammates were still thinking about what else they'll need.

"Sitting on the ground or these crappy cushions is so uncomfortable!" Aria complained.

"Once that TV is done, I would like to play some video games." Iris added.

' _Jump up, kick back, whip around, and spin!'_

'The Weekend Whip' started playing and no, it was not from that embarrassing video. Lloyd's ringtone was going off, catching the young ninja off guard. He took out his phone and never expected hi mother to call him at this hour. She somehow knew that her son wouldn't want to be bothered whenever he was out doing 'school projects' with his few friends. The green ninja grew concerned that something unsavory must've happened and his mind quickly drifted to his mother's safety.

"Mom! Did something happen?" The green ninja ran outside the base before answering in a flash.

"Lloyd, you haven't had any suspicious calls have you?" Koko asked from the device.

"Uh… no? Why?"

Back home, Koko hesitated for a moment. She knew this was the last thing her son would ever want to hear. Still, he had every right to know. He will find out the truth, even if she's been hiding it for years.

"It's about your father."

Lloyd's heart stopped at that very moment. His whole world black out, everyone and everything wiped out from existence in his mind. His mind was lost to a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Among them he felt shock, anger, hatred, and… hope…?

The green ninja was even more disturbed by this sudden belief that he could finally find acceptance, except that he didn't want that from a terrible person, someone as terrible as… his father…

"W-what about him…?" The green-eyed outcast asked before he even realized it.

"He somehow managed to hack into the cellular network and got my number. He most likely got your number through mine. I'm sorry." Koko lamented.

Now everything Lloyd knew had fallen apart. His father had plenty of opportunities to give up his evil ambitions or at least check on his son and it's only now did he seem to plan to make any contact with him. That part of him that yearned for his father was still there but it was overwhelmed by his rage. If Garmadon truly cared for him, then why did he wait until now to have any presence in his life?

'How dare he show up now?'

Lloyd's fist shook and threatened the break his phone. There were many different things he wanted to do, particularly chucking his device into the ocean. His turmoil left him to do little else but stand there and let his rage fester. Even the other ninja knew they'll have to avoid him if want to keep their heads.

Lloyd stared at his phone and can only think of doing one thing…

* * *

 **Just when you think this story's just gonna drag, there's drama lurking right around the corner! Stay tuned as we see how Lloyd will take all this & what happened to Koko at the time.**


	36. Don't Call Me

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another night, another update.**

 **We'll find out what Koko was doing & the ninja will see some action again so sit back & enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 35: Don't Call Me

Koko was busy preparing dinner to occupy her time alone while Lloyd was away doing school projects with his friends. She remembered a time when she thought that any food preparation more complex than peeling a banana or heating frozen meals in the microwave to be a waste of time. She guessed it was because she wasn't that much of a cook until it was just Lloyd and her. Cooking was one of many unfamiliar things she had to learn in order to adjust to life away from the battlefield and she ended up enjoying it. Being able to provide something as simple as a homemade meal for her son filled her with joy and banished any regret she had over leaving her husband. She didn't bother to think about how the dark lord was faring. They were through and all the once celebrated warrior wanted to do was to keep providing for her son and help him find a much better future...

The ringtone from Koko's phone suddenly went off, interrupted her chopping up some ingredients for tonight's meal. She instinctively answered without looking at the number of whoever was calling her.

"Hello?" Koko answered.

All the former warrior could hear was static and inaudible whispers for many moments until whoever got her number finally spoke.

"Can you hear me?" A voice Koko wished to never hear again finally replied and the ex-warrior nearly dropped her phone.

"...Garmadon…!"

"It hasn't been long but I'll never forgot what happened the other day," Garmadon talked, eerily calm for someone Koko vividly remembers as an extremely temperamental person, "Tell me. How's our son doing? Is he still being, as you claim, hated by everyone in the world _you_ took him to?"

Koko knew of her ex-husband's hacking exploits with the city's TV networks and now, it seems that he can do the same with the cellular network. She quickly thought of the worst case scenario and the first thing she thought about was her son's safety.

Without bothering to respond to her former spouse, Koko hung up on him but memorized the number before calling Lloyd. She had to warn him of his father before the dark lord could reach him…

* * *

Lloyd seemed distressed when he was on his phone and the ninja knew better to keep their distance though that didn't stop them from guessing what was going on.

"What do you think he's upset about?" Heather asked.

"Did his mom find out about what we're doing?" Jay fidgeted.

"Or maybe he broke up with someone?" Aria pondered.

Everyone else looked at the kunoichi of wind with incredulous stares.

"Lloyd was never in a relationship." Cole corrected her.

Iris felt a sudden urge to throw up, remembering something she wished to forget. Despite her sudden nausea, she was just as invested in eavesdropping as her teammates.

Lloyd's brain was bombarded by many emotions coming in at once but the strongest one was rage. His father ruined his life and never bothered to make any contact with him or even his mother, taking his sweet time until now to make just one measly call.

"What about him…?" Lloyd's hushed voice shook.

"He somehow got my number and he may have found yours through mine," Koko replied, knowing her son wouldn't take his father's sudden arrival well, "I saw the number he used and I'll tell you. It's..."

The ninja's curiosity was nagging them and they were even more tempted to ask Lloyd what was going on but Master Wu stopped them, which was probably a good thing.

"Students, come back inside," Wu beckoned his apprentices, "Lloyd needs some personal space."

"Don't you think that's a bit of an understatement?" Nya retorted.

The elderly sage still dragged the rest of his students back into the warehouse.

Sooner than Lloyd would've wanted, which was never, the number his mother told him appeared on the screen of his phone. Lloyd was tempted to answer and at the same time, destroy his phone.

This might be his one chance to finally have his father back in his life but is that what he wants?

Does he want to have an evil warlord for a father?

Some people say no family is better than a bad family and Lloyd didn't really understand it until now. As much as he yearned to have the company of a father he was starting to think maybe it was a good thing his mother took him away from the dark lord. If he was the same as his father, then the civilians' hatred of him would be justified but he'll never be his father. He didn't want to be evil and he began to believe that living with Garmadon wouldn't make any difference with how society sees him.

Lloyd felt a strong need to say something he's been planning to say to the dark lord for a long time. He no longer cared what his mother, uncle, or even his friends thought. For once, he's not gonna be held back by the opinions of others.

He 'accepted' the call from the number and didn't hesitate to sum up years of hatred and frustration at his own father into just two words…

* * *

At the NCC headquarters, where everyone made sure the citizens must pay a hundred dollars a month if they want to watch Silicon Meadow or Game of Crowns, the employees felt chills crawl up their spine.

Did something slip past their extremely staunch censors…?

* * *

The dark lord loomed silently in his office and none of his underlings dared to approach him.

Garmadon never knew what to expect even before calling Lloyd and certainly didn't expect him to say _those_ words to him. He had no idea how to even fathom why his own son would hate him enough to react that way. If he were in Lloyd's shoes, Garmadon would've looked up to him… himself… anyway, the dark lord possessed a massive ego. But if _he_ was the one who was bullied and hated by everyone, he wouldn't hesitate to run away and take revenge on them. He could've given that to Lloyd and much more yet he couldn't see that.

However, the dark lord isn't one to give up so easily.

If Lloyd's gonna give him a hard time, then he'll have to dish it back…

* * *

The ninja were too stunned by Lloyd's choice of words to say anything once he returned to the base. Not even Master Wu thought of getting close to him. The wise mentor can see the rage festering in his taciturn nephew's green eyes. The young ninja made a beeline for his desk and was focused on getting started on his next mech without making even the tiniest sound with his voice.

"Master Wu, are we gonna go back to training?" Jay asked the ninja's mentor.

"A quiet atmosphere is what Lloyd needs most for the moment. We shall wait until he blows enough steam. In the meantime, you should also regain your strength." Wu retreated back to the corner with a piping hot cup of tea which his students were starting to think he might be drinking too much of. But in the end, he had a point and the other ninja knew they'll have to avoid Lloyd if they want to live life after high school.

The rest of the Secret Ninja Force huddled together on the opposite end of the warehouse while their teammate was busy building his next mech.

"I can't believe he actually said that..." Luna still can't get over her initial shock.

"I can." Nya said flatly.

"I do not understand," The ever naive Zane spoke, "I have only heard that word in school yet I have no information on the definition of..." The android repeated the word Lloyd said while at the same time, Lloyd briefly turned on the power drill, drowning out his voice. The rest of the robot's teammates still heard him and were even more shocked to hear that word come out of _his_ mouth.

"Zane, do us a favor and don't say that word ever again." Kai muttered.

"Why? I still do not understand what makes -" The robot almost said it again but Iris clamped her hand over his mouth.

"I don't understand how someone as smart as you can also be so naive..." The pink kunoichi sighed.

"I'm actually more worried if anyone else heard him," Heather said, "You know how the NCC can get on everyone's asses when even the smallest thing gets past the radar."

"Since when did anyone else care what Lloyd does?" The black-clad ninja asked.

A few teammates gasped at Cole's remark, which might set off the green ninja the wrong way. Luckily, the green ninja was too engrossed by his work to listen to his teammates' conversation and even if he heard what Cole said, he didn't seem to care.

"Everyone hates Lloyd and there's plenty of times bad things happen to him and nobody gave a damn. If I knew any better, they'll be celebrating if he breaks any of his bones or suddenly disappear without a trace." The earth ninja spoke of the locals' hatred of their friend like it was nothing serious.

"You do have a point..." Jay responded.

"Am I the only one here who's more worried about what Garmadon will do?" Aria reminded the rest of the ninja of the dark lord… whom Lloyd just told off… in a not so family-friendly way.

"Oh god, he's probably gonna send the _entire_ Shark Army," Jay quivered, "Or worse, he's gonna build himself a mech much larger than Lloyd's Mech Dragon or even summon a giant monster. Ninjago City will be leveled. We're doomed!"

"The estimated time for Garmadon to complete a mechanical contraption that will dwarf Lloyd's will be at a minimum of three months," Zane calculated, "And chances of him summoning an otherworldly being is six percent."

"And what if that six percent comes true?" Kai seemed to side with Jay for once, "There's a lot about Ninjago's history we have yet to discover and Garmadon could be making his own mech as we speak!"

"We'll never know for certain," Nya brushed him off, "For now, we need to stay focused on training if we can have any chance of defeating Garmadon."

"But what about Lloyd? I'm more concerned on how he'll react from now on..." Luna mused.

"If he can't fight, then we will. It's not Lloyd alone who has to defend Ninjago. We're the Secret Ninja Force, a _team_. It doesn't have to be all about Lloyd." Iris said.

"True," Cole nodded, "But we can't forget he'll probably be affected by it more than any of us."

"I guess I can see that. I just hope he'll be able to overcome whatever Garmadon throws at him..." Kai glanced at his teammate hard at work with the mechs...

* * *

The ninja just barely got ready to begin another training session when they were needed yet again by the townsfolk. The Shark Army were back at it and since they weren't in school, the Secret Ninja Force had all the time in the world to go after them.

"The Shark Army are raiding the beaches!" The reporters on the ninja's new TV exclaimed, "Last time, it was Master Wu who saved the day! Will the Secret Ninja Force show up again or are they really just a bunch of posers looking for their fifteen minutes of fame?"

The aforementioned Secret Ninja Force watched the report, some of them not at all thrilled at being called posers. Others, Kai and Nya in particular, were itching to test out everything they've learned in the art of combat until now. As for Lloyd… the less words said, the better.

"You know the drill," Wu deadpanned, "There appears to be more henchmen compared to last time. I recommend for all of you to go -"

"I'm not going!" Lloyd interrupted his uncle.

His teammates suspected his sudden behavior had to do with that call from last night.

"Lloyd, there are many things we have to face, even if we don't want to. I understand how you feel but sitting in a corner and feeling sorry for yourself will not get you anywhere." Wu approached his young nephew, expecting him to explode.

"I'm not sorry for myself," The green ninja fumed, "I'm sorry for all those idiots who have no idea what it's like to have stones tossed at you from every side. I'm sorry they only see me for who I'm related to. I have no freakin' idea why I signed up to protect the people who've done nothing to me but assume I'm the same as that… that..."

"Say no more." His uncle halted him, already knowing what he was going to say.

"I don't want to be here. Heck, I don't even want to be in this damn city." Lloyd grumbled.

"If you're tired of being seen as nothing more than the son of the dark lord, then prove it." Master Wu bluntly told his nephew.

"I already did. Countless times and they can never see it."

"I do not mean it that way."

"What else am I supposed to do? No one still trust us as ninja and even if everyone will idolize us later, they still will never know I'm the green ninja! It won't make a difference!"

"One day, you will know exactly what to do. Some things will never come if you keep expecting them to. The more you try to reach out and take possession of what you don't have, the more you already have that you will lose. Life can be cruel but you're not the only one to suffer for it."

"Master Wu, we gotta go!" Kai urged his teacher to give the team permission to leave.

"Lloyd, you must know what you already have," Wu told his nephew one last time, "Go and face your future. All of you must."

With much reluctance, Lloyd accepted his latest assignment. At least he'll have an outlet for his fury...

* * *

The ninja still had to go on foot, Lloyd's Mech Dragon still far from being functional. During their trip, they were wary to keep their distance from Lloyd, who was still beyond pissed. It was a good thing the journey to the beach wasn't too long and the ninja soon found the Shark Army.

"Well you sorry lot took your sweet time." The next General #1 sneered at the young vigilantes.

"If you really are the 'protectors' of Ninjago City, then where were you last time?" Another Shark Army lackey mocked the ninja.

"I am afraid we cannot disclose that type of information to you." The robotic white ninja said.

"You know how this will go." Iris whispered to her teammates.

"So… does that mean we run away?" Jay asked.

"No, you idiot!" Kai hissed at him, ignoring his sister's glare aiming at him, "We're gonna fight!"

The Secret Ninja Force and the Shark Army clashed yet again on the shores of Ninjago City.

Some of the ninja's combat skills improved while others still had a long way to go. The fidgety ninja in blue still didn't have a lot of control with his kusarigama and the one in purple always ran away when the Shark Army were after her, always hiding behind the buff ninja wearing black. The ninja in red and silver managed to give their enemies a hard time with their double katana and spear and the odd one in white fired his arrows with pinpoint accuracy.

With twice as many members as the Secret Ninja Force, the Shark Army thought they'll maintain the advantage in numbers but this fight was harder than the first one, thanks to a certain ninja.

Throughout the brawl, the ninja in green seemed much more ruthless than during previous battles. He didn't give his enemies any chance to fight back as he chased them down like a predator demolishing their weapons with his sword. The Shark Army, the other ninja, and even the citizens who stayed and watched the whole battle could see the pure unbridled rage in his eyes.

Once the dust and sand had settled, the Shark Army found themselves ousted by the green ninja, who destroyed their weapons with his sword.

"Okay! We surrender!" The underlings gave up like the cowards they were.

"Go and tell your boss that we won't be playing around anymore." The green ninja glared at the dark lord's underlings with his matching eyes.

With the Shark Army running away with their tails tucked between their legs, the civilians celebrated as the day had been saved by the Secret Ninja Force.

However, the praise and adoration meant little for Lloyd. They had no idea who was really fighting for them and their compliments were hollow. They praised the green ninja but not Lloyd himself. If they ever find out... god knows what will happen...

* * *

Throughout the walk home, Lloyd knew everyone was glaring at him without having to see their faces. As usual, they blamed _him_ for his father's rampages against the city. No one will ever suspect that the green ninja on his first steps to becoming a hero was also the same son of Garmadon they hated. The only reason he continued putting up with the townspeople's hypocrisy was because he wasn't saving the city and being a ninja for them. No, he was only doing this to find the answers he's been searching for his entire life. No one else mattered to him but himself… and maybe his mother...

"Mom, I'm home." Lloyd greeted the only parent in his life upon his return.

"Lloyd. I was so worried about you." Koko wrapped her arms around her son once he came inside.

"I always come back in one piece," The outcast retorted, "Why are you being so upset now?"

"Ever since your father found our numbers, I've began to have this fear that you'll leave one day." His mother still didn't let go but Lloyd didn't mind. As much as he despised his father, he loved his mother very much. At least she didn't reject him.

"I would never leave, especially since this is the only place where I can be me without being judged." The green-eyed outcast sighed.

"You know I left your father so I could give you a better chance at life. But I always feared that it will be all for nothing and you'll end up like him despite my efforts. But I only put you in a far worse situation. I don't know which is worse, you staying here and continue to be hated, or… or..."

"Or what? Do you think I'm gonna turn out like him?"

Koko felt even more uneasy when her son voiced her deepest fears.

"Lloyd… did Garmadon call you…?"

The green ninja wasn't sure how to answer. If he tells his mother the truth, chances of her discovering his secret identity will be as great as guessing who's the least popular guy at school. The other choice was to (obviously) keep lying to her, which he never liked since the beginning. He still had to keep his secret safe until the supposed 'right time' as his strange uncle always called it, whenever it comes.

Also, he was sure he'll be grounded for life if his mother found out what he said to Garmadon.

"...Yes..." Lloyd finally answered but said nothing more.

Koko's fears started to consume her very being. With someone as bitter as Lloyd, it may not take much for him to snap or become desperate to have his father in his life… or even both...

"W-what did he say…?" Koko inquired her son.

"I… hung up before he could say anything..." Lloyd lied, knowing it would be for the better.

The single mother sighed with relief. Her son didn't seem interested in siding with his father. Now time will tell if his beliefs will change...

"Lloyd, you will _never_ be like your father… and you will never be me, either." Koko looked straight into her child's eyes with hers that were also green. But hers was different. Her eyes were a darker hue due to both age and seeing many things that darkened her views, including the dark lord himself, while her son's were still bright and young. Unlike her, he still has yet to discover who he is...

"Now that Garmadon knows our numbers, will he call us again?" Lloyd broke the silence with another question regarding his father's intentions.

"It's not unlikely. I would get our phones replaced right now but I can't afford two new phones for the moment." Koko sighed.

"Mom, you don't have to do all this for me. I can take care of myself."

"It's my duty as a mother to look out for you and it's one I will gladly uphold."

"No need to get so poetic about it..." Lloyd found himself wondering if aspects of his uncle rubbed off on his mother. Still, an obnoxiously metaphorical mother is way better than an evil father.

"Okay, I won't say that again," Koko jested, "Now have some dinner. The school year is far from over."

As Lloyd helped himself to some shrimp fried rice, his mind kept revolving around the chances he and the other ninja faced lately. His Mech Dragon was complete and he was getting started on some of the other contraptions, the Shark Army are becoming relentless, and the Secret Ninja Force are slowly but surely becoming celebrities. It was something Lloyd Garmadon, the most hated person in Ninjago City second to his father, would've never imagined. Life has a funny way of never turning out as one would expect it… and Lloyd will continue to find that out in the near future…

* * *

 **And so, the plot thickens. As for what Lloyd said to Garmadon… I'd really prefer this story to stay T-Rated. I told you there will be action eventually & I do plan on doing some more with the ninja's battles as well as training so be sure to buckle up… when humans can turn beef into chicken.**

 **Also, please check out my profile & vote on the poll for my ideas of a new mini-series. I'll still be mainly focused on this story but I do have other stories in mind. As always, please review.**


	37. The Ninja is a Part-Timer

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! Today, we'll see the ninja continue their training as well as Master Wu making them do things a little different for this chapter. Plus, we'll look a bit into Zane's life as he juggles his duties as a ninja & a chef & even more lovely sibling rivalry between Kai & Nya. Like I always say, read on!**

* * *

Chapter 36: The Ninja is a Part-Timer

Life for the young ninja continued as usual. They go to school to be judged and let their grades decide if they'll ever be successful or not, go home to unwind from the unnecessary stress, and then head to the ninja hideout to train for a battle they might never be ready for.

"Luna, you will have to face what you fear sooner or later. You can never escape from the inevitable." Master Wu goaded the kunoichi of sound to start standing up for herself.

"I… I'm scared..." She whimpered.

"Being a ninja is not the same as being all-powerful and fearless. By admitting your fears, you display a very unique kind of courage. And true strength doesn't come from physical prowess nor efficiency at the battlefield."

"Then where? What is this 'true strength'?"

"It comes from within you. Strength can be many different things. Your decisions will determine what defines your strength."

Master Wu set up several dummies for his student to demonstrate what she's learned so far.

Luna gulped, her abilities with the sai still needing some work.

"Will you only wait and let fate decide everything for you or will you be the one to decide your fate?" Wu continued asking cryptic questions, leaving his shy pupil to try and decipher it.

Luna did choose to join the music club to pursue her real dream… as well as joining the ninja to see if she was more than her dreams. If she was able to take steps in becoming an idol, then at least she can try to do the same to learn more about herself.

But is having to fight the Shark Army and learn to wield a pair of sai necessary for that?

'There's nothing else I can do now,' The timid girl thought to herself, 'The very least I can do is try...'

The kunoichi of sound thrust and swung her weapons at the effigies and while her aim was a massive improvement compared to when she started, she still missed every now and then.

"You still have so much to learn." Wu told Luna once she stopped.

"W-what am I doing wrong…?" She bit her lip nervously. She knew she was no pro with weapons but it still hurt to be told she wasn't good.

Will she ever be good enough? Or even good at anything at all besides dreaming?

"Never close your eyes when you strike. You must always know where to attack. The sai also possess many more uses than merely a weapon. I have demonstrated it for you, remember?" Master Wu said to boost her memories of the demonstration he had done for her during her early days as a kunoichi.

"Yeah..." Luna looked back on that lesson, feeling foolish for forgetting it until now.

"I understand that you think you'll never be good enough. A person can be their own worst enemy."

"What do you mean?"

"Your self-doubt, fears, and insecurities are all part of being human. There is no shame in showing fear nor in making mistakes but you can't let your self-image hold you back."

'Self-image…?'

Luna always considered herself a timid girl ever since she was little but didn't even think much about herself for most of her life. She only saw herself as how others saw her.

Was she really just an empty-headed moron?

Now the kunoichi of sound became fearful again but it wasn't the prospect of fighting the Shark Army that unnerved her this time. It was a fear that the answers she's looking for will turn out to be exactly what she doesn't want.

"Luna, it's too early to start doubting your worth as a kunoichi. It's not good to rush into these things." Wu scolded her yet again.

'Answering my questions with more questions of your own… Yeah… Like that's gonna help...' Even the demure kunoichi of sound found herself running low on patience dealing with her mentor's needlessly cryptic words.

However, the old man was already back in his little corner drinking tea as usual.

Looks like Luna will have to wait another day to see if there is more to herself than even she realizes...

* * *

Cole found himself standing before the Petite Corner though he did remember why he came here. The earth ninja recently heard from Heather that Zane was now working there so he can cook not just for his father but for everyone in Ninjago. Even to this day, he never forgot the taste of those sandwiches the android made for his friends before they heard of the Secret Ninja Force… for a few minutes.

The music-loving teen was a bit of a foodie, especially with sweet things like cake, and possessed the appetite to match. Already having done a lot of weightlifting before becoming a ninja, the strong teen had a fast metabolism and there were plenty of times he got hungry less than an hour after eating his previous meal or snack. His stomach was already growling like a vicious beast and it won't be another few hours before dinnertime and he'll already have to train at the ninja base before going home to eat dinner with his father, which he never enjoyed.

The earth ninja quickly made up his mind and headed inside the restaurant...

The cafe was filled with more people than Cole originally assumed. Most of the tables were occupied and everyone seemed to really enjoy the food. The dark-skinned teen can only hear the music on his radio but many of the patrons' smiles said everything he needed to know about Zane's cooking.

"Welcome! How may I help you?" One of the maids greeted him and guided him to an available seat.

"Do you know someone named Zane Julien working here?" Cole asked once he sat down.

"Of course. He's the newest chef and thanks to him, this place is booming."

'I'm not surprised...' Cole thought to himself. He only tasted the android's homemade treats a couple of times and they all tasted amazing. If Zane can make some simple snacks taste much better than the pretentious haute cuisine that was the only food Lou allowed in the mansion, the earth ninja can only begin to imagine what a complete meal made by the ice ninja would taste like.

"Would you like to order something?" The maid interrupted his thoughts.

"I'll have the jumbo hamburger steak." The earth ninja answered after skimming the menu.

"Excellent choice." The employee took the menu and left, leaving the laid-back teen alone with just his thoughts to keep him company.

Zane would probably have his work cut out for him if he wants to keep cooking. The earth ninja began to worry if his teammate will be able to handle a demanding job while maintaining his secret identity at the same time. The android always seemed very eager to please and Cole speculated it was because of his desire to be seen and treated the same as everyone else in the city, who were all humans. The black ninja developed a bit of a soft spot for his teammate but couldn't figure out why. Then again, he did sympathize with the robot for wanting to be accepted for who he is, Zane being himself regardless if he were man or machine, and Cole for not wanting to end up like his father. The earth ninja did have a strong sense of empathy and compassion, wanting to help others in any way he can. But sympathy alone won't be enough to make Zane feel like he belonged.

'Are you stupid?' Cole berated himself, 'You have it good compared to him! Zane's gonna need all the support he can get! What kind of friend are you if you give up on him?'

'But why are you thinking like this with only Zane? You have other friends, right?' Another part of the earth ninja pondered.

Cole was aware it was still too early to have any special attachments to just one of his friends. He still needed to get to know more about all the ninja before concluding how he felt for each of them. Even if they were in the same club for quite some time, he and Luna still don't know a whole lot about one another besides their mutual love for music. Having a mellow temperament, it'll likely take a long time before he can really know much about Luna, Zane, and pretty much everyone else in the team...

"Thank you for the wait. If you're curious, Zane made it himself." The maid returned with Cole's order.

The meal looked like something straight from a commercial. The juices of the plump meat shimmered, the demi glace sauce sizzled on the hot plate, and even the sunny side-up egg on top was perfect with not a single blemish on the glossy white or unblemished yolk. The fragrance and even the steam rising from the dish was already enough to make the laid-back teen's mouth water. Cole didn't even wait to take his first big bite of steak.

The sumptuous flavors of the steak burst in his mouth and the tsunami of deliciousness almost made the sturdy ninja pass out. The meat was so juicy and the rich sauce only amplified its flavor. Even the egg was cooked to perfection, the delicate yolk tantalizingly oozing over the meat once it was broken by the knife. The mellowness managed to create further depth of flavor of the hamburger steak. Every single component of the dish were flawlessly melded together into a harmonious symphony of flavor. Minutes felt like mere seconds to Cole when he found his plate empty _after_ going for another bite. All he can think about once his revelry faded away was that Dr. Julien was both a bonafide genius and a _very_ lucky man.

But something was wrong.

No matter how amazing the food was, the earth ninja wasn't entirely happy.

Cole still felt disappointed that he never got to see Zane for some reason, and he was very well aware he shouldn't be. He and the white ninja already see each other everyday at the hideout so it shouldn't bother him.

Yet it did.

'Why am I getting all worked up about not seeing my own teammate when we train together all day, and it's been like that for months to boot?'

Cole remembered when he was a small child and wanted something, his father either denied it to him for being too 'unsophisticated', or it was simply handed to him, much like how rich kids got whatever they wanted. Maybe that sort of mentality stuck with him and he had yet to fully outgrow it. He didn't want to think he acted like a spoiled brat but he can't deny that was how he was raised and that was the world he grew up in. He also knew that he was going to meet Zane later so at least he'll have some sort of consolation.

With only minutes left before he had to head to the hideout, Cole quickly paid for his meal and rushed out of the cafe before he could be given his change.

Just when the earth ninja left, Zane emerged from the kitchen, his time there almost up. He can't tell what it was but he had this strange feeling that he should've come out sooner. Working in the kitchen now, he can no longer tell if any of his friends visited the cafe and his new occupation didn't allow him as much free time as he used to have. Still, ever since he began to actually cook here, the cafe seemed to have become extremely popular. The other employees often told him about how the patrons loved the food he made but he wasn't happy with only being informed. He wanted to actually see the smiles of the people who tasted his cooking and wanted to be told it was delicious.

But that still didn't explain why the android felt something strange. This sense of emptiness made no sense to him. There were people here enjoying his food but he can't get rid of this belief that there's only one thing that was more important than having something he make put a smile on others' faces. The most perplexing part is that he had no idea what it was.

"Zane, are you feeling well?" Some of the employees noticed the robot's uneasy expression.

"I have this strange feeling I cannot decipher," Zane answered, "But it is of little importance. It is time for me to leave but I shall return."

The other staff stared after the odd robot even after he was gone. They knew he's not human but did he have to make everything sound much more serious than they actually are?

"Weirdo." One of them finally muttered after several moments of silence.

* * *

The ninja were ready for yet another day of training but once again, Master Wu went on another one of his weird lectures before they can get started.

"Today, we will be doing things a little different." The bearded teacher informed his students.

"What now?" Lloyd rolled his eyes over his uncle's cryptic ways.

"We won't be training here today. It's time to become familiar with what is unfamiliar to you now." Wu answered, already prepared for the impromptu 'field trip'.

"That doesn't make a lot of sense." Jay replied.

"And a group of teens being the sole defenders of Ninjago makes more sense than that?" The bearded old man threw the blue ninja's question back at him.

"But we'll be discovered if we go out like this." Nya pointed out.

"I know a secret path. Follow me." Wu whipped out his flute and started walking off. The ninja simply stared at him walking away with confusion until he stopped all of a sudden...

"Must I explain myself again? You know it's not good to become repetitive." He reminded his pupils.

And once again, Wu talked like they were in some book or movie. The ninja and kunoichi had no other choice than to follow him...

* * *

Master Wu led his students through a lengthy route through the less visited areas of the city and out into the wild, all while playing a melody with his flute Cole seemed to really like. His students were too concerned with the chances of being discovered to take in the natural beauty of the bamboo forest as they continued deeper until they reached a small clearing amidst the greenery.

"Today, you will be training here, within your elements." Wu stopped in the middle of the scenery.

"Not _all_ of our elements are here." Iris pointed out. Ironically there was metal in the city but here, it's nothing but bamboo and grass.

"And lightning only appears during storms… and I don't think training outside during a storm is such a good idea..." Jay added.

"Heather and Aria. Your skills have improved but you still haven't fully mastered your weapons."

"What? Why them?" Nya asked.

"Must I explain to you about the element of nature?" Wu deadpanned, which silenced his students.

"As for the wind, it is everywhere but its presence is most easily felt amidst the natural world."

"And what do our elements have to do with our weapons and fighting style?" Aria was still in the dark with her teacher's metaphors.

"You will find out when all will seem lost." The old man answered flatly.

"I don't think that's a good thing." Heather sighed.

"Many things are not what they seem as you will find out one day but not today. For now, both of you will face each other. Now begin the match."

The two kunoichi were still confused and looked to their fellow teammates for answers but they knew just as much as them. They had no choice but to fight one another.

Heather and Aria were friends but they were accustomed as kunoichi well enough to have no troubles facing each other in a training match. Heather maintained a steady posture while swinging her mace while Aria darted through the pseudo arena, looking for any weak spots to exploit with her daggers. It had yet to be detected by them but Master Wu can quickly see the connection between the kunoichi's elements and weapons.

Heather usually remained where she stood until absolutely necessary and when her opponents were close, swung her mace with all her might. She was as firmly rooted to the ground with her grace hiding incredible strength just like the willow.

Aria on the other hand ran and leap about with seemingly no sense of constraint, swinging her blades in every way and direction possible. She was free and wild like the wind itself but her spirited nature didn't diminish her potential as a fighter, similar to the easily overlooked ferocity of the gales that can tear down walls.

"Quit moving around!" Heather swung her mace but missed.

"How about _you_ stop standing there and actually fight!" Aria taunted her.

The teal kunoichi frowned underneath her mask and lunged at her opponent. Heather with her mace can become a very formidable warrior and while she leaned towards a steadfast approach, she wasn't above trying to make the first move. Aria's fighting style was as impulsive as her own thoughts but she had her moments where she took her time reading her opponent's every move and plan out what she will do next.

Meanwhile, the other ninja witnessed their duel while pondering how each if them will train amongst their respective elements.

"What do you think Master Wu will do for us?" Cole asked.

"If I knew any better, he'd probably make me train at the beach or out in the rain." Nya quipped.

"I have no idea how I can train with sound," Luna said, "You're lucky your elements are tangible."

"And what about me? I don't even have an element." Lloyd pointed out.

"You'll find out in due time, nephew." Wu answered his relative and surprising his remaining pupils.

"Are you gonna do this kind of stuff with us soon?" Kai asked, now that he had his teacher's attention.

"Yes," He answered bluntly, "Now observe well and see how the elements connect with each of you."

While their elemental connections were still lost on his students, including the dueling kunoichi, they were clear to the experienced Master Wu even before they began their true training. They need to see it for themselves as he had done eons ago. There's no doubt it will take a long time before they realize that and luckily, the old man possessed tremendous patience...

* * *

Just like every other person in the world, Iris hated math but she had to study for the upcoming exam. She took advantage of the time she had at the ninja base to study, even if it makes her look like a total nerd. She looked through her notes over and over, trying to imbue days of studying into her brain. But since this is math, the most difficult thing in the world, the kunoichi of metal was struggling.

"Do you need some help?" Nya suddenly took a peek at the pink kunoichi's notes.

"I'm trying to study!" Iris groaned and puffed up her cheeks, a telltale sign she was _not_ happy.

"Sheesh, no need to bite my head off." The kunoichi of water raised her hands in self-defense.

"Since when is studying for an exam _not_ such a big deal?" The kunoichi of metal scowled.

"I know how tough it can be. I'm just as fond as math as anyone else. Still, I plan on doing nothing but my very best in absolutely everything I do. Anything less is utter failure."

"Won't that make you a perfectionist?"

"Well I have to be the greatest if I want to be successful," The strong-willed girl dismissed her remark, Now, tell me where you're having trouble..."

The silver kunoichi proved to be as reliable as Cole despite her competitive nature. She always kept Iris focused on her studies and pointing out any mistakes she made.

"Are you trying to get _Nya_ to help you with schoolwork?" Kai peered at the pair, interrupting their little study session.

"And what's so bad about that?" Iris narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance.

"If you want some real help, you should come to me." Kai boasted.

"Don't," Nya whispered to Iris, "He got a B on his last exam."

"A B's still good!" The fire ninja still heard his sister and let his temper fly.

"But it's not perfect!" His sister argued back.

"Not trying to pick sides but Kai has a point. As long as I pass, I'll be fine." The pink kunoichi said.

"You know what? Next time Iris has to study for an exam, I'm gonna help her and then we'll see who's a better study partner!"

"It's on!"

And the dramatic music started again...

"Don't turn my problems into your own little contest!" Iris yelled at the squabbling siblings.

"Then I'll get rid of your problems for you!" Kai literally dragged Iris away from her work and towards the hideout's TV.

"Kai! You're only making it worse!" Nya hollered after her brother but he already tuned her out once the TV starting blaring out loud anime intro numbers.

Meanwhile, Iris found herself tempted to join the fire ninja and throw her academic concerns out the window. She already had plenty of time to study at home and it won't hurt to take a break from it. The pink kunoichi sank into her seat alongside Kai and felt all her worries go away.

'I guess studying can wait...'

* * *

 **So will the other ninja get to train outside in their elements? Will Cole and Zane ever get to meet in the cafe? Is Iris going to pass her exam?  
**

 **Find out the answers to these dumb questions & much more in the next chapter!**

 **Anyway, thank you for voting on my poll! I would like to write new stories but I'd like to get some feedback first. Again, review!**


	38. Go to School, Save the World

**Discovering Destiny**

 **As usual, the ninja continue their to juggle their lives as students & protectors of the city. We'll see if Iris passed her exam, another battle against the Shark Army, & even some conflict among friends. Sit back & enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 37: Go to School, Save the World

It was that time of day again. The ninja and kunoichi all gathered at the warehouse to resume training. At the entrance, Nya suddenly shuddered, which was unusual for the strong and confident girl.

"Nya, what's wrong?" Kai noticed his sister's random discomfort.

"Gee I don't know," The kunoichi of water answered sardonically, "Maybe someone's super pissed at you for what you did to them the other day."

The siblings turned around and saw Iris standing at the entrance to the base with a dark aura looming over her. The pink kunoichi remained where she stood, glaring at the Hinata brother.

"So… how did the exam go…?" Kai asked.

The violet-eyed girl marched right up to her teammate and thrust her exam in his face. Written in red on the corner of the paper was a big fat B-.

"Well what do you know? You still did pretty good." The hot-blooded teen remarked but the remaining ninja reacted with even more terror.

"Pretty good!? You're lucky I didn't get an F!" Iris wailed at the fire ninja.

"Come on Nya, help me out here… Nya…?" Kai whispered to his sister… only to find her no longer next to him. The silver kunoichi now stood among their teammates and Kai reverted his gaze back to a very angry kunoichi of metal.

"Kai..." Iris started darkly, "You're lucky Master Wu even accepted you as a ninja."

The outwardly petite girl stomped off to get changed into her gi without turning back.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought." Kai sighed with relief.

Nya slapped her forehead over her brother's idiocy yet relieved that he escaped the wrath of the pink kunoichi in one piece. While he can be complete asshole, he's still her brother and he was much more than a hotheaded moron.

"Now that you have miraculously survived, go and get changed. Not a single minute shall be wasted." Master Wu goaded the fire ninja, who should be lucky to even be alive...

* * *

Lloyd was hard at work building the foundation for Kai's mech, even though what happened between Kai and Iris earlier tempted him into scrapping it. He would've began working on Nya's mech but the kunoichi of water was already doing it. Too bad the other ninja still have yet to come up with designs for their mechs so he can go through with ditching the fire mech and yes, that's its real name. Kai isn't all that good at coming up with names… unless he's hurling threats and insults.

However, Lloyd had this feeling that he was being watched. He can tell someone was right behind him, watching his every move...

The green ninja turned around and flinched once he saw Jay standing there for who knows how long.

"What do you want?" Lloyd asked bluntly.

"I was wondering if you can look at my designs." The blue ninja handed over some blueprints just like a student handing their schoolwork to their teacher.

"Don't say it like that. We're teammates." His jaded teammate replied but still took the blueprints.

Lloyd had to admit that Jay definitely knows what he's doing when it comes to technology. It came to no surprise that the lightning ninja went with something airborne. The notes he took were even more detailed compared to the blueprints for his Mech Dragon and the blue ninja also went into painstaking details on every last part of the design for his mechanical contraption. Lloyd wasn't all that surprised. He already saw what Jay was capable of at the auto club and he was almost envious of the seemingly clumsy boy's skills at times.

"What do you think?" Jay asked nervously. He would've went to his parents for advice if it weren't for the fact that it's supposed to be the _Secret_ Ninja Force.

"I'm not surprised you came up with something like this." Lloyd admitted.

"Is that bad?"

"Nope. At least not with this sort of stuff. You can go ahead and get started right now if you want."

Lloyd could've sworn he saw an overjoyed sparkle in the lightning ninja's pure sapphire eyes. He didn't forget that Nya was now working on her mech and he almost wanted to gag at that moment. He may have grown out of that 'girls are gross' phase every little boy experienced but that childish assumption was replaced with mature cynicism and it wasn't just because of a certain incident. His mother most likely went through the same idiotic puppy-dog romance bullshit and look where it got her. He didn't truly hate her but she was the one who got herself into that whole mess. At least she saw the error of her ways and didn't obsess over any needless romantic drama.

Even if his mother was being an infatuated fool, Garmadon was just as guilty for becoming a lovesick puppy and letting himself get distracted…

'Why the hell am I defending _Garmadon_?'

Lloyd shook off any thoughts of the dark lord and scoffed at the way Jay blushed with Nya nearby. He had no idea how the silver kunoichi remained oblivious to the blue-eyed ninja's emotions. Heck, even Luna with her vapid disposition, can tell he has it bad for her. It wasn't much of a surprise because the kunoichi of sound was just as much of a sappy moron around Cole as Jay is with Nya.

As far as he's concerned, no one will ever feel that way about him and for once, he actually liked that...

* * *

Kai and Cole had time to hang out at the halls of Ninjago High. Outside of their secret lives, they were no different from any other teen. They had their own interests and even quirks that they shared.

"I wish the Secret Ninja Force would come over here and kick Garmadork's ass." Some students spoke loud enough for the pair to hear.

Cole rolled his earthy green eyes at his teammate's infamously short temper. Kai already looked like he was going to commit mass murder while the insults at Lloyd kept coming.

"Who do you think will finally do something about that little creep?" The bullies kept talking.

"My money's on the green ninja."

"I don't care who's who as long as they can get rid of Garmadon Jr."

"Nah, that name makes him sound important. Even 'scum of the earth' is too good for him."

"This isn't a contest. At least we can all agree that Lloyd's a male version of a thot."

And the black ninja began a mental countdown to another one of Kai's notorious rampages.

'Three, two, one.' Cole quickly counted in his head.

"Did you just call my friend a thot!?" Kai marched up to the bullies, his hot amber eyes appearing as if they were literal flames threatening to burn the jerks to a crisp.

The earth ninja was exasperated by the hothead's anger problems while he continued his charade.

"I'm gonna make you regret calling him that once I'm through melting your skin with battery acid you rat shit bitch-faces!" The spiky-haired ninja managed to spew out before his friend finally intervened.

"Kai, stop. They're not worth it." Cole literally dragged his friend away from the bullies.

"Let me at them! I'm gonna turn their faces into pudding!" The fiery teen writhed in his strong friend's iron grip as he headed for the bathroom where they won't be bothered.

"What was that for!?" The fire ninja now targeted his teammate for ruining his revenge.

"Don't stoop to their level," Cole said sternly, "If you're gonna resort to making other people's lives a living hell, you're no better than those bullies."

"Easy for you to say," Kai scowled, "You don't know Lloyd as long as I have. I've heard every insult you can imagine hurled at him much worse. They would throw dodgeballs only at him, trip him whenever he's carrying books down the hall, and every other school prank you can think of. Try saying that again once you see what he's really been through."

"I'm pretty sure Lloyd can take care of himself. He probably spent a whole lifetime of bullying yet he's still here. If that doesn't already make him a badass, I don't know what will."

"How would you know?"

"Lloyd's still here, isn't he? I think that's all the evidence we need."

"But as long as he's here, the bullies won't stop."

"I know. I'd definitely enjoy punching their faces in but beating up others isn't the only way to protect Lloyd. And there are other people we now have to protect."

Kai hated to admit it but Cole was right. As cynical as Lloyd may be, he was able to hold his own and as a ninja, he showed much potential to become a true hero. The red ninja sought to protect not only his childhood friend but his sister, their parents, and everyone he knew, including his own teammates.

"I know..." The hot-blooded ninja sighed, "It's just something I've felt as long as I can remember."

"I know what it's like. I also have this… need… if you can call it that… to help anyone in any way I can. I'm not saying protecting others is wrong but doing nothing besides being overprotective will get you nowhere. You could end up being a little… flat."

Kai mentally winced, knowing that some of Master Wu's strange quotes were rubbing off on some of the ninja. If Nya also becomes unnecessarily cryptic, he may not live for long.

The warning bell rang, cutting the ninja's conversation short. Once Cole parted ways with Kai, he felt a strange sensation like he had a strong need to do something. What it is he didn't know. Maybe it was his need to help and protect others acting up. As for Kai, he kept thinking about what Cole said about not being any better than Lloyd's bullies if he beats them up. The fire ninja dismissed his teammate's beliefs. If the earth ninja has his own way to deal with bullies, then so can he. Besides, he is now the fire ninja. It was his right, no, duty to make anyone who dares to pick on Lloyd regret it.

"I AM AN ETERNAL FLAME BABY!"

Kai's voice echoed across the entire school. Of course his own sister heard it too.

"Keep walking." Nya told her friends as they made their way to their first class.

"But what -" Aria still didn't understand the strong-willed girl's sudden moodiness.

"I said keep walking." The kunoichi of water repeated herself and walked at an even faster pace. It was times like these she wished she was an only child.

* * *

Heather now understood why Lloyd now preferred to eat lunch at the rooftop of Ninjago High besides getting away from the bullies. The weather was very nice today and the atmosphere was peaceful too. She enjoyed immersing herself in the natural world and feeling the gentle breeze caressing her form.

'I guess it's no surprise,' She thought to herself in this moment of solitude, 'Master Wu did assign my element to nature. Of course I love flowers but he would not have known that. I still wonder why...'

With her mind now occupied by her duties as a kunoichi, Heather began working on ideas and designs of what kind of mech she'll be piloting. She can't say she was an expert with machinery and she can't say her ideas were exactly creative.

"Whatcha doing?" Aria suddenly popped up next to the kunoichi of nature.

"I'm thinking about what my mech will be like." Heather remained calm and composed while drawing something. Having been friends with Aria since entering Ninjago High, the capricious girl's surprises no longer fazed her.

"Oh yeah, I have some ideas too. Jay's been helping me." The orange kunoichi replied.

"What have you come up with?"

"All I can think about is something that can fly since I'm the kunoichi of _wind_. And you?"

"I'd rather not talk about it..."

"Why not? Let me see!"

Heather tried hiding her drawings but from what Aria could see, her designs were… unoriginal…

"Can't you come up with something better than a truck?" The olive-skinned girl pointed out.

"How should I know? I am _not_ good with machines..." The teal kunoichi rubbed circles on her temples while trying to focus.

"Why don't we go and ask Jay or Lloyd?"

"They already have a lot on their plate. I'm actually embarrassed to say it but I don't want to become a burden to them by piling more work on them."

"But at least Lloyd said he likes doing that sort of stuff and Jay and Nya are also starting to help out so he won't be doing all the brunt work by himself."

"I know but I still want to come up with a better design first..."

"If you won't go to them, then what about Zane? He's a robot so he should know a lot about machines and that sort of stuff."

"You don't know anything about him!" The flower-loving girl suddenly shouted at her own friend.

Both Aria and even Heather were shocked by what the latter just said.

There was something about Aria's remark about the ice ninja that rubbed Heather the wrong way. She did get annoyed with her friend's impetuous manners every now and then but for some reason, what she said offended her. It was ironic since it was the teal kunoichi who had a strong affinity with Mother Nature and flowers who was getting overly defensive of an inorganic being and even so, the kunoichi of nature didn't know a whole lot about Zane either.

But why was she so offended?

"Heather, I'm sorry. I -"

"Whatever. I'm leaving."

The kunoichi of nature marched off without another word, leaving Aria utterly shocked and confused by her friend's accusation.

"Geez, what was that all about?" The impulsive girl shrugged off her friend's outburst and returned to the building for her next class…

* * *

The Shark Army were at it again and this time, their target was the Octan-sponsored racetrack at the edge of Ninjago City.

And just as always, the Secret Ninja Force arrived to save the day.

"No one will stop us from delivering the goods to Lord Garmadon!" The Shark Army seemed focused on grabbing as much mechanical parts and gas as they can rather than terrorize the civilians. Still, the ninja had to stop them from fulfilling their evil overlord's plans.

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" The ninja in red unsheathed both of his katana, starting yet another battle between the Secret Ninja Force and the Shark Army.

Even during the midst of yet another battle against Garmadon's forces, the ninja couldn't help but feel things were starting to already become repetitive. They were really a bunch of teens who wake up, go to school during the day, and then fight against the forces of evil with their secret identities.

"Is it just me or do I feel like we're in some sort of cliché anime?" Iris whispered to her comrades.

"That is not possible. This is real life, not a work of animation." Zane replied, his remark making some of the other ninja uncomfortable for some reason.

"Guys! We have to focus!" Lloyd urged his teammates to prioritize their mission.

The battle raged on at the racetrack. As always, the ninja's intentions were to disarm the Shark Army rather than directly fighting them and with them trying to take the racetrack's equipment, they had to keep the dark lord's underlings from taking any gas and parts.

"You two! Make sure none of the people get hurt!" Lloyd assigned Nya, Luna, and Cole to defend the citizens as they made their escape, "And you make sure the Shark Army don't take anything!" He then had Kai, Zane, and Aria guard any items the enemies might have their eyes on.

"Everyone else, attack!" The green ninja led Jay, Iris, and Heather as the main fighting force against the Shark Army.

All those training sessions seemed to finally pay off as the ninja fended off the Shark Army, who were unable to keep up with them. The silver kunoichi with her spear and black ninja with his warhammer kept the dark lord's underlings at bay. The fiery red ninja with his katana and calculating ninja in white with his arrows also prevented the pesky minions from stealing anything that may be of value to their evil overlord. The other ninja who were directly fighting the Shark Army were no slouches either. The green ninja struck down the Shark Army's efforts to make Garmadon's plans a reality with ruthless zeal with his large sword. Even the pink kunoichi was surprisingly hard for the villains to tackle down with her sword and shield to provide both a means to attack as well as defend herself and her allies.

The Shark Army didn't want to accept the truth but they can't deny the Secret Ninja Force seem to be getting stronger with each encounter. If they keep it up, all of them will be fired… literally.

With their forces exhausted, some of the Shark Army goons tried sneaking off with the tool, parts, and oil they could keep their hands on. Too bad not all of the ninja were focused on just one target.

"Hey! You're not getting away!" The teal kunoichi caught them trying to escape.

"Oh no you don't!" The black ninja also spotted and chased after the goons.

Even while carrying such a heavy weapon like a warhammer, the muscular ninja quickly caught up with his targets and tackled down a few of them. The ninja in white fired his arrows at the remainder of the lackeys, slowing them down enough for the other ninja to catch up.

"You won't be going anywhere with those." The green ninja glowered over his defeated opponents.

With their forces severely weakened, the Shark Army can no longer fight back nor steal anything. The citizens cheered as the day was saved yet again by the Secret Ninja Force.

* * *

The ninja had to be just as secretive on their way back to their hideout but they would still chat during the journey time and again.

"Those Shark Army losers better watch out cuz we'll just kick their asses again!" Kai bragged.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Lloyd warned him, "Knowing Garmadon, he probably won't give up any time soon."

"How do you know?" Aria asked in a teasing manner, "Could it be you really want to get to know your own father?"

"It's just a hunch and it's only because of our shared blood! Nothing more!" The green ninja dismissed his pesky comrade's assumption a little too quickly to be convincing.

"Anyway, what do you think Garmadon would want with these parts?" Luna asked, changing the topic before Lloyd could suffer an aneurysm.

"Most likely to make more weapons." Heather guessed first.

"Or even new machines for the Shark Army…" Jay fidgeted.

"Or maybe some kind of ultimate weapon." The dark lord's son said dryly.

The ninja stared at each other silently for a few moments, trying to imagine what kind of mechanical world-destroying monstrosity the dark lord himself could create...

"Nah!" They dismissed the idea of Garmadon having some giant war machine.

Besides, that would be way too cheesy…

* * *

Back at the ninja base, Master Wu suddenly shuddered. He had this strange feeling that someone had spoken of a certain topic too soon. There were still many secrets his students have yet to discover. He did plan on revealing them but the young ninja and kunoichi weren't ready, at least not the way they are right now.

Speaking of which...

"Master Wu, we defeated the Shark Army again." His pupils greeted him once they returned from their latest mission.

"You have made a lot of progress since the Secret Ninja Force was officially formed. However..."

"Yeah, yeah. We get it," Lloyd interrupted his uncle, "We still have a long way to go. These things take time, don't rush into it. By the time we're ready, we'll be just as old as you."

"It's not wise to jump to conclusions."

"I'm not -"

"Lloyd, you mustn't try so hard to find the answers. They could be right under your nose, even as we speak. The same goes for all of you. You made your choices to become ninja, which will open up a lot of questions each of you will have. What those questions are, it is not for me to know first."

"But when we do find those questions, if that makes any sense, how will we find the answers?" Cole pointed out.

"The answers could be anywhere. It could be in the city, or near, or far. It could be among your friends and family. Or… it could be right here, even as we speak." Wu answered as cryptically as ever.

"Now that sounds just plain creepy." Jay said.

"No matter what the answers are and where they will be, you mustn't try too hard to search for them. Garmadon will only continue his conquest until you defeat him. Again, the solution that could restore peace to Ninjago may not be what it seems. You will know what to do when that times comes."

Master Wu went back to meditating and drinking tea, leaving his students more confused than ever.

"I'm still confused," Luna spoke, "He keeps saying we'll shouldn't try too hard finding answers but then he says we'll know what to do. I just don't get it."

"We'll never get anything from that guy," Kai dismissed Wu's advice, "Let's just focus on defeating the Shark Army and then make Garmadon regret trying to conquer Ninjago."

"It's about time we should be heading home. We have no other choice but to wait and see what fate may have in store for us." Cole said before getting ready to leave.

"Yeah..." The ninja followed suit. They had nothing to work with regarding finding out just what their strange mentor told them.

As usual, Lloyd was the last to go but before he could go, his uncle had something to say to him.

"You have a big future ahead of you," Master Wu started, "But it will all linger on the decisions you will make. Will you be able to do what is right?"

"Right? For what?" The green ninja was still confused by his relative's weird choice of words.

"Everything."

"Is that all I'm getting?"

"Yes."

The young ninja sighed in exasperation but began his journey home. Once his nephew was gone, Wu mused over the strange feeling he had earlier.

One of the biggest secrets of Ninjago was in his hands as those of his students are not the right ones to control it. No, it is far too soon to think about it. It would probably take a long time before Wu can even tell the ninja about it and much more. It's never good to rush into action…

* * *

 **Well what do you know? I got this chapter up on the same day Sons of Garmadon premiered in the US. Some of us already know what will happen but please don't put any spoilers anyway. It's not fun to spoil it for anyone who waited.**

 **Until the next update, please review.**


	39. That's All I Need

**Discovering Destiny**

 **The ninja will be taking a little break from the action as we see some more interactions & discover more about each other. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 38: That's All I Need

Jay spent much of his break at the ninja hideout nowadays working on his mech, not that the lightning ninja was complaining. He always liked doing this sort of stuff, given his family history. Now that Lloyd approved of his designs, the blue ninja can finally do something he was much more familiar with than wielding a kusarigama. But that wasn't the only reason why he enjoyed working on his mech.

"Jay, can you hand me a wrench?" Nya asked while working on her mech.

The blue-eyed teen was already flustered just by having the silver kunoichi say anything to him at all. She was also good with machines, which Jay believed to be the main reason why he was so drawn to her. There were certainly no other girls in Ninjago High who were as interesting in inventions… or have any interest in it at all.

She's truly one of a kind...

"Are you gonna help me or what?" The kunoichi of water raised an eyebrow at her teammate's strange behavior. He was often like this when it was just them and while she found it cute most of the time, it can be a little irritating when there was work to be done such as right now.

"R-right!" The flustered ninja handed the tool to his teammate.

Nya brushed off her slight annoyance at Jay's weird quirks and began working on her mech. Ever since she started coming up with ideas, she was eager to begin building it. Like Lloyd, the confident girl too had a penchant for building things. Even before she heard of the Secret Ninja Force, the silver kunoichi had thoughts of not only becoming the Lady Iron Dragon of her time but to also pilot a large machine. Back in those days, she had very vivid images of what type of warrior she would be. She even thought up of her own persona.

'Looks like I'm not gonna be 'Samurai X' anytime soon...' She looked back on her past ambitions.

Nya originally had more interests in the samurai than the ninja and even today, still incorporated her interests with her duties as the kunoichi of water. She had ideas for her own samurai armor and while she won't be wearing one of those cool helmets, she was still able to borrow inspiration for her silver gi from the sketches she made not long before.

She even had ideas for a machine completely different from the one she's making now. It was actually similar to the Fire Mech her brother designed but it wouldn't be possible for him to take her designs. But as far as she knew, she never showed her designs to anyone, not even her own friends and family.

Unless…

Kai felt shivers crawl up his spines all of a sudden. He couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. He turned and saw his sister glaring at him for some reason. Even the other ninja had no idea why the kunoichi of water was suddenly pissed…

* * *

Once the Hinata siblings made it back home, Nya gave Kai and earful over their mech designs.

"Did you look at those!?" Nya accused Kai.

"What are you talking about?" The fire ninja was taken aback by her sudden accusation.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"I don't get it! I haven't done anything to you since those videos!"

"You stole my designs, didn't you!?"

"Designs!? For the mechs!? I don't even know what your mech will even look like!"

"Stop pretending you don't know about my Samurai X ideas!"

"Samurai X!? What kind of cliched name is that!?"

"Don't play dumb! I know you've been looking at my plans!"

"Dumb!? The joke's on you cuz you just gave away all your precious Samurai X stuff!"

Several moments of silence passed until the pieces finally came together for the silver kunoichi. It was at that moment did Nya realize she fu -

You know what? Let's move on to the next scene. This is supposed to be a T-rated story and whoever is dishing out this crap wants to keep it that way.

* * *

Today, Luna found herself stuck at home and she was _not_ having a good time.

If there was one thing Luna hated even before becoming a kunoichi, it was getting sick. Even with her extremely timid demeanor, she didn't like being too weak to do so much as get out of bed. She sniffled loudly but some mucus still escaped from her nose. She always felt terrible for falling behind at school all because her body couldn't withstand a tiny virus. It was even worse now that she was also part of the Secret Ninja Force. They were most likely training without her right now... making more progress… unlike her…

'What difference will it make?' She thought bitterly to herself, "I'm still no good at being a kunoichi. At this rate I -' The purple kunoichi was interrupted by that annoying sensation anyone would get when they were about to sneeze.

Luna let out a huge sneeze and despite being alone, covered her mouth, getting mucus all over them. Strings of mucus and saliva hung from her face and hands and the purple kunoichi stared at her own bodily fluids with disgust.

'I'm gross...' She grimaced before using some tissues to clean up the mess and then tossing them into the trash bin… except that it was already full and the soggy materials joined the rest on the floor.

"Luna, your friend came over to check on you." Her mother called to her from behind the door.

The already shy girl was too weak to respond and whoever bothered to see her in such a pitiful state invited themselves right in, surprising her.

Luna never expected the hot-blooded Kai to be the one to check on her. He was always protective of everyone he knew but to her, it only involved scaring the crap out of anyone who insulted anyone he cared about. She sometimes wondered why Chen wasn't scared of Kai by now.

Meanwhile, Kai felt his protective instincts kick in once he saw Luna in such a sorry state.

Luna definitely wasn't feeling at the top of her game and it showed. Her usually neat auburn hair was a complete mess with tangled locks here and there, her nose was red with mucus constantly leaking, and her eyes were bloodshot and glistened with excessive tears. However, her haggard looks were not as bad as how she was feeling. Her nose was so congested she could only breath through her mouth and her throat was very scratchy. Her breathing alone sounded very hoarse and raspy without a single trace of the pleasantness of her singing voice.

"Uh, hey. How are you holding up?" Kai greeted her.

Luna only stared at Kai with a cross expression. The fire ninja should've known better than to ask such a stupid question to someone who's sick.

"I also stopped by Two-Eleven and got you a little something." Kai handed the ailing girl a plastic bag. She peeked at the contents and saw a bunch of junk food like potato chips, soft drinks, chocolate bars, and candy. It was the last thing anyone could give to someone who's sick but Luna remained grateful that the red ninja cared about her at all.

"Thanks." The kunoichi of sound literally croaked.

"I know how much it sucks being too sick to do anything. That's why I came to check on you." The fire ninja said while checking her temperature. He can tell she was still burning up and it wasn't because of his elemental affiliation.

"I don't get it. Why would you bother coming here? You… Y-you -" Luna was interrupted by a coughing fit. Kai immediately felt for her, knowing what it's like to feel left behind all because of a cold. He hated being held back or falling behind more than anything else. He hated it just as much whenever Nya or any of his friends got sick. He knew they can be much more than what they are now. Even if they were just ordinary people, Kai

"Do you need anything?" Kai asked once his teammate got over her coughing fit.

Luna made sure no one else was around before asking her teammate of what went on during training.

"Did Master Wu make you try anything new?" The kunoichi of sound finally started to actually talk and miraculously wasn't interrupted by any coughing fits or worse, a sneeze.

"Nope. Just the usual," The fire ninja told her of the ninja's day, "Master Wu's being as cryptic as ever."

"Do you think he's just saying those things?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes, I wonder if he has different opinions and is just saying stuff to get our hopes up..."

"Don't say it like that. True, he's taking that mysterious old mentor thing a little too seriously but there must be a reason he chose us when he could've chosen someone else like Ronin."

"Who's Ronin?"

"My kendo teacher."

"You take kendo?"

"Yeah, even before we heard of the Secret Ninja Force. I don't think I told you this but I've always had an interest in being a master of the katana."

Luna tried to speak but suffered another coughing fit.

"Don't exhaust yourself," Kai laid her back in her bed, "You need plenty of rest. I'm gonna go and ask your parents to get another towel ready for you."

"You don't have to -" Luna tried to stop him but the fire ninja already left.

As annoying as it may be, the kunoichi of sound was also surprised by how… sweet… Kai can be. With all his outbursts at school, the timid girl thought he would be nothing but a bad-tempered hothead. It was only after agreeing to join the Secret Ninja Force did Luna began to see a part of him arguably no one else but Nya saw.

"Let's get you all healed up." Kai returned with a fresh towel and gently rubbed her forehead with it.

"You shouldn't be doing this..." Luna wheezed and was too weak to protest besides complaining. Even if she had some more strength in her, Kai was having none of it.

"It's no biggie. I've helped Nya like this whenever she got sick."

"But we're only teammates. We don't have some deep bond or something."

"Don't be ridiculous. We're teammates and you're just as important as all of us."

"You're only saying that to make me feel better." Luna dismissed Kai's overly persistent protectiveness.

"Stop being so doubtful. To be honest, I'm far from becoming a true master of the sword but you don't see me beating myself up over it. I may not be the most patient guy in the world but I still know from experience that things like these take time, no matter how much you enjoy it."

"You do have a point..." Luna coughed.

"It's getting late so I guess I should be going. Don't forget what I just told you. Oh, and get well soon." Kai said before leaving.

Luna was left wondering why Kai would go to such lengths for her with their only relation being part of the Secret Ninja Force. There wasn't much between them and they haven't had any real interactions… until now. Yet Luna can't deny that the favors Kai did for her was able to cheer her up and the kunoichi of sound even found herself looking forward to seeing him at school or at the hideout again...

* * *

Outside of training and her part-time job, Heather enjoyed living life just like every other teenage girl. She enjoyed shopping, chatting, and generally hanging out with her friends. Since it was the weekend, the kunoichi of nature decided to spend what time she had shopping with Iris. Thankfully, the kunoichi dressed in her usual Sweet Lolita get-up wasn't as impetuous as Aria… unless they were in Darling, the Stars Shine Bright.

Heather checked the time on her phone and was surprised only seven minutes have passed. The teal kunoichi could've sworn they were in this cutesy shop longer than they did in all the other shops they visited combined. Iris was much more enthusiastic than she had ever seen her in the shop.

Heather liked how cute many of the dresses were but they just weren't her type. She didn't mind cute things but she was always rather modest when it comes to fashion.

"Heather, you should try this on!" Iris literally shoved a pink dress decked with more ribbons than the teal kunoichi ever saw on one article of clothing in her face.

"Uh, no thanks." She refused the kunoichi of metal's offer.

"Well aren't you the party pooper?" The violet-eyed girl pouted but dismissed Heather and went back to looking for some blouses to buy.

Heather continued browsing the shop, feeling almost overwhelmed by the blatant cuteness. She bore no ill will towards Iris having her own tastes but she _really_ wanted to get out here. Working all day in a flower shop is one thing but at least she was willing and it _is_ her job, not an obligation.

"Have you found anything you like?" Iris checked on her teammate.

"I guess I'll be going with these." The kunoichi of nature settled on just a pair of little bows with some lace and tiny gem charms hanging from them.

It took everything in Heather not to show relief when they finally left Darling, the Stars Shine Bright.

"I kinda dragged you into that place so let's go wherever you want." Iris said.

"We could go to the Petite Corner and try some of Zane's cooking." Heather suggested, feeling a little hungry after their little excursion.

"Is it because you like him?" The pink kunoichi asked in a teasing manner.

"Not like _that_!" The freckled girl rebuffed her, "He may be a sweet person but we don't have anything special between us! Besides, that kind of stuff takes time!"

"I was only joking. It's no big deal."

"Whatever..."

The girls headed to the cafe but since it was the weekend, it was already packed. They knew Zane had a gift in cooking but they were still taken aback by how popular the place has become thanks to him.

"This is gonna take forever," Iris threw up her arms, "Let's go find some other place to eat."

Heather let out a little snicker at her teammate's remark.

"What? What's so funny?" The kunoichi of metal caught on to her friend's reaction.

"Nothing." She replied a little too innocently.

"Are we gonna leave or what?"

"I don't mind the wait. I'm sure Zane's cooking will be worth it."

Iris was _not_ happy having to wait, especially since she was getting hungry. To add insult to injury, she noticed that Heather was smirking the whole time for reasons she may never know. But perhaps there are some things that are better off a mystery…

* * *

Training has become completely ingrained into the young ninja's lifestyle that they no longer had any complaints, even if they also had to train on weekends. Finally, Luna recovered from her cold and can now begin playing catch-up with her teammates.

"I'm sorry I missed out on training for the last few days." She first spoke to Master Wu.

"There's no need to apologize for something that was out of your control," The old sage informed her, "But to fully recover, it is best to regain your stamina. You can start by some simple exercises."

'This guy just doesn't give anyone a break, does he?' Luna was a bit put off by Master Wu's moments of bluntness but she had to admit she kinda missed it.

At least she can now go back to doing something productive in her life.

'Really? You spend most of the missions hiding behind the others. Besides, the one thing you're ever good at is -'

'Shut up, brain! I have big stuff going on! _Big_ stuff!' The auburn-haired girl briefly argued with herself.

Luna went to pick up some equipment for today's training session only to be interrupted.

"Luna!" Aria called to the kunoichi of sound, catching her off guard.

The purple kunoichi dropped everything in her hands in shock, leading to grave misfortune. One, most of the stuff was heave. And two… some of them hit her feet. Even the orange kunoichi was unnerved by the silence and tried to speak to her again if not for Cole dragging her away.

So much for wanting to go back to training...

* * *

Jay was having butterflies in his stomach as he stood before the door leading to Dr. Julien's apartment. Being an enthusiast when it comes to technology, the blue ninja accepted Zane's offer to come over to his abode without any hesitation. Dr. Julien was famed during his prime as one of the brightest men in Ninjago and for the tech-savvy boy, visiting him was very much like an ordinary citizen getting to hang out with N-Pop Girl.

The door opened seemingly by itself. Having known Zane for a long time, Jay had a feeling the android was responsible for allowing him entry and…

"Greetings, friend." Zane literally slid from behind the door once Jay was inside. Even if he expected it, the lightning ninja still flinched when the robot revealed himself.

After greeting him back with a simple 'hi', Jay observed his friend's home. The apartment was tidy and clean while having a bunch of machines strewn here and there such as a large computer in the corner of the living room and some gadgets in the kitchen. Sitting on the sofa was none other then the famed Dr. Adam Julien himself. He was definitely well into his twilight years but he wore a warm smile on his face and seemed happy to have some company aside from Zane.

"So you must be Jay Walker," Dr. Julien greeted the nervous boy, "Zane has told me about you quite a few times. He always spoke of how intelligent and knowledgeable you are with machines."

"I'm not that smart." Jay didn't seem like it but he was all giddy over receiving a compliment from the one and only Dr. Julien himself.

"I'm sure you have vast knowledge of inventions. Zane told me you hail from a family of inventors."

"He is one of the smartest students in Ninjago. He is often at the top of the list of students who have done well academically." Zane described his friend to his father.

"I wouldn't really say that..." Jay's face became as red as Kai's gi, which he hid in his scarf.

"Now don't be like that. One can be their own greatest enemy. Believe me, I know from experience." Dr. Julien reassured the freckled boy.

"I thought you were simply gifted."

"Now there's no such thing as being good at anything immediately. Every talented person had worked hard to become good at what they're known for, including myself."

"Really? I've heard a lot about you and how smart you were back in the day. I don't wanna sound rude but I assumed your home would be… different."

"I do admit I'm not the engineer I used to be back then. Nowadays, I just build some little knick-knacks to make life just a little bit easier."

Some beeps in Morse code brought Jay's attention to the large computer in the corner.

"Do not worry, Mom," Zane spoke to it, "Jay is my friend. He will not cause any trouble."

"Did you just call that computer 'Mom'?" Jay almost let out a snicker.

"Yes. Mom stands for 'Maternally Optimized Mechanism'. It is easier to call her that."

"I don't think machines have genders." The lightning ninja said only to mentally kick himself for saying such a thing in front of Zane. Luckily, the android seemed to pay no heed and went inside the kitchen to make some snacks for his friend and father.

"So tell me what kind of neat things you and your family have made." Dr. Julien spoke to Jay.

"I don't think anything we've made anything, or ever will, that will be as great as the stuff you created but if you _really_ want to know, my family and I made a bunch of stuff. When I was five, my dad made a utensil that can both cut a steak and keep it in one place without squishing it. And by the time I turned fourteen, my mom..."

Dr. Julien never expected Jay to talk so much but he didn't mind. In fact, he liked the unassuming boy's enthusiasm with science and technology. It wasn't often someone as young as the inventive teen had any interest in technology asides from mere addiction to social media and fads.

"Father, Jay, would you like something to eat?" Zane came back, offering some homemade cookies.

While Jay gushed over his friend's wonderful cooking, Dr. Julien was accustomed eating his robot son's food everyday.

"You have so much potential to invent many new things, Jay." He spoke to his guest.

"How would you know that?" Jay paused, his face full of cookie crumbs.

"Because I have faith in you," Dr. Julien answered, "I became a successful engineer because others had faith in me. I had faith that Zane will meet some people who will look beyond his origins and see him for who he truly is and look. You're friends with him and you both have other friends, yes?"

"That's true..."

"Indeed," Zane added, "Jay and I have more friends at school. There is Kai who is always protecting us and Nya, whom Jay stutters frequently and experiences a rise in body temperature when she is within three feet from him -"

"Too much info!" Jay slammed his hand over the android's mouth.

Dr. Julien chuckled at the duo's antics. He was simply happy to see his son living out his own life and it also delighted him to see that he was able to make friends. That was all he could ever want.

And all he'll ever need.

* * *

 **Yeah, I know nothing big happened but I want to expand the other ninja's characters unlike what the movie did. As always, reviews are appreciated.**


	40. Duels of Ninja

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another night, another update. Again, not a whole lot happens here but this sort of stuff takes time. As always, please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 39: Duels of Ninja

The sound of metal clashing against one another resounded in a warehouse at the docks of the city.

Kai and Iris fought against one another as part of their daily training. Kai was quick on his feet with his two katana while Iris held her ground with her sword and shield. Master Wu observed them carefully, learning more about them with every move they made.

Kai tried to attack Iris from the side but she countered his move with her sword rather than her shield. The sound of metal colliding with one another echoed loudly in the ninja's stronghold.

"Heh, you've been getting better since you first started." The fire ninja commended his opponent.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" The kunoichi of metal taunted with another slash of her sword. Her fiery opponent was quick to jump back from her reach and landed away from the range of her blade. He slid both of his blades together, making the noise of metal sliding against one another, as if he was trying to provoke her.

Iris was still for a few moments before striking again. She raised her sword above her and was ready to strike again. Unfortunately for her, Kai still had a lot of fight in him and countered the attack with one of his katana. He swung his other sword but Iris defended herself with her shield.

"That will be all." Wu dismissed the pair, having seen enough of the fire ninja and kunoichi of metal.

"You did pretty good." Kai complimented his teammate again as they took their seat. His remark didn't seem like a whole lot but coming from someone who learned the way of the sword long before all this ninja stuff, it was pretty much a glowing review.

"Lloyd, you're up." The bearded old man beckoned his nephew to be the next ninja to demonstrate his skills with his weapon so far.

The green ninja stepped into the makeshift arena with his slightly curved sword. He didn't mind having a duel and even found himself starting to enjoy it. Maybe it was because training had some value for him as one of the very few ways he can vent his frustrations over being the most hated person in the entire city.

"So who's up for a challenge?" Lloyd egged his teammates to have a duel with him.

"I'll go!" Aria jumped at the opportunity to take part in some action.

Once the green ninja and orange kunoichi showed that they were ready, Wu began the match.

To match her impulsive disposition, Aria's fighting style was more or less sporadic. She never stood in one place for long and aimed her daggers anywhere she could all because she can. Lloyd had observed her fighting style enough times to know that she was going to fight this way.

'If this is how it's gonna be… bring it on.' The green-eyed teen kept a firm grip on his sword as he stood and let his opponent make the first move.

The kunoichi of wind leaped towards her adversary, who blocked her daggers with his broad sword.

"So this is how things are gonna go, huh?" Aria sneered before striking again.

This time, Lloyd used the hilt of his sword to attack, hitting her wrist. The orange kunoichi was caught off guard and pain caused her to drop one of her blades. She hurried to retrieve it but the green ninja obstructed her path with his sword… aiming right at her neck.

"Move and that will be the last thing you'll ever do." Lloyd threatened her in a low voice that sounded even more unnerving with dissonant calmness.

"I've seen enough." Wu stopped the match before things can get ugly.

The kunoichi of wind shuddered and felt like she had to avoid the green ninja for the rest of the day.

"Speed is an important factor in the way of the ninja. However, you must learn to have consistency in your fighting style or else you will never be able master the way of the ninja and you'll be lost forever." Her teacher spoke to her once she settled down.

"I'm not lost. I'm right here, aren't I?" Aria responded, not understanding what her teacher meant.

Wu didn't respond to the kunoichi of wind. She had to figure out what he meant by herself. He moved on to his nephew.

"I understand there is much anger in your heart but do not lose yourself to your emotions. They are a vital part of who you are but they're all you are." He said to his young relative.

Lloyd quickly dismissed his uncle's strange ramblings.

He had plenty of reason to be angry and that's all part of being human, right?

'Yeah, but would a complete human being have a four-armed creep as a father?'

The green ninja felt his fangs with his tongue, feeling even more downtrodden by his inability to deny that he will always be different from everyone else no matter how much he tried to deny it.

'Denial? Me?' The green ninja was surprised by his own inner thoughts yet again, 'You know what? If being the same means being a judgemental asshole, then I think I'll just stick with being different.'

* * *

Chen glared at Lloyd as he made his way down the halls of Ninjago High. That little bastard thinks he can just waltz right in and ruin everyone's lives. He was probably thinking of repeating his evil father's actions. After all, the apple never falls far from the tree. If there's anyone who should put Evil Overlord Junior in his place, it can only be Chen.

The male cheerleader was going to open his mouth but the pariah beat him to it.

"Yeah, yeah," Lloyd sighed with exasperation, "I should go and feed myself to the sharks. That way, I'll do something good for Ninjago for once."

The pariah headed off to class, not bothering to see how the preppy bully will react.

"Forget him," Sky, one of the cheerleaders consoled Chen, "The ninja will deal with him later."

"They better..." The brunette glared at where that green-eyed creep stood.

One day, Lloyd Garmadon will get what's coming for him...

* * *

Garmadon lurked like all villains do in his stronghold, trying to come up with a plan to get rid of those pesky ninja.

There was still something about that one ninja with green eyes… He can tell the masked person was a lot younger than him but he still had this strange feeling that they have indeed met before… in a time long past…

'I've met a ton of people throughout my life. That ninja's probably just one of those little kids from the villages I've invaded. How cliché. A young man or woman wanting revenge for the loss of their homes and families. Those times have long passed so why can't they move on with the endless flow of time?

'Time...'

That word alone reminded the dark lord of what he had in the past… and what he no longer has.

Ever since… that call… Garmadon felt something strange and completely alien to him whenever he did so much as allow that face he saw when he felt his whole world crash down. That feeling gave him this sense of… emptiness like losing one half of himself. It didn't make any sense to him. He always aspired to conquer Ninjago and once he succeeds, he'll have everything he ever wanted…

Including what he had.

And the dark lord was confused by his own emotions again.

'I must focus,' Garmadon reprimanded himself, 'Concentrate on the task at hand. _Then_ go on about all these emotions.'

The four-armed warlord returned to his desk and began formulating his next plan...

* * *

Cole kept playing his beloved music loudly during class and even with his headphones, his classmates can still hear the powerful beats of hard rock echoing from his headgear. Some classmates didn't mind having some music to beat out the school doldrums but Mr. Hutchins wasn't having any of it.

"Mr. Charbonneau -"

"Turn off that music. It's not allowed in class." Cole said in sync with Mr. Hutchins, having been scolded by him and every teacher in school so many times he now knows the words by heart. In the end, the music-loving teen complied to the rules for now and concentrated on today's English lecture.

Cole may not seem like it but he was a hard-worker not just as a ninja but as a student. Sure he listens to music all the time but that wasn't all he did. It wasn't luck that gave him a good academic record. In spite of his reputation as a somewhat lackadaisical teen, when he puts his mind into something other than music, he would stop at nothing until he gets the job done and made sure it was done well. The earth ninja actually wasn't really sure where he got his sense of work ethic from.

Could it be from his disdain of the wealthy society who had everything literally handed over to them?

Or was it something he inherited from his dead mother?

He knew next to nothing about her and he certainly had nothing in common with his father except for several aspects of their appearances. Surely he had to get these quirks somewhere...

Cole quickly shook thoughts of his deceased parent and back to the lecture. He can't let something he had absolutely no control over skew his priorities. He was not only a student but a ninja too. He had to do well not only as a ninja but as a student too. He had his own life he planned to live for himself.

* * *

Once class was done, Cole didn't waste any time leaving since it was lunchtime and he was hungry. He made a beeline for the cafeteria and helped himself to today's special. Sure it won't beat Zane's food at the Petite Corner but he needed to fill his belly with _something_. As usual, he ended up sitting with his fellow ninja sans Lloyd who always eats at the rooftop.

"Greetings, fellow teenager." Zane greeted the earth ninja.

"Yeah. What you said." Cole responded before eating and immediately felt the urge to gag at the awful taste of the 'meatloaf' that was today's lunch.

With this being a school, it was expected for the food to be bland at best but having eaten Zane's food, Cole can't help but feel like he's been spoiled and this is coming from someone from a vastly wealthy family. The earth ninja also noticed that the humanoid was also eating the questionable cafeteria fare.

"You know, you're really good at cooking and you even cook at the cafe. Why on earth are you eating cafeteria food at school when you make even better food?" The buff teen peered at the robot's school lunch with curiosity.

"Because I want to live life just like everyone else and that includes ingesting the meals the school staff make." The ice ninja answered.

"I've been meaning to ask this for a while," Now Jay joined in on the conversation, "Since you're not a hu – I mean… since you're an… inorganic being… doesn't that make eating unnecessary?"

"I do have a fuel tank in place of an organic stomach that functions in a similar vein so I too must gain stamina through a physical and consumable source such as food. My father designed my components to be as similar to organs as possible. Besides my fuel tank, I have a ventilation system within my chest to serve as lungs and..."

While Jay listened with wide-eyed intrigue, Cole and the others were completely lost by the android's constant use of big words and they weren't as invested in machinery as the lightning ninja.

"No offense but I have no idea what those two are talking about." Kai gestured at the tech-savvy pair.

"Me neither," Cole admitted, "But if that sort of stuff is what they like, then that's fine by me."

"Yeah," The red ninja agreed, "Nya also likes a bunch of stuff I'm not so big on. She keeps raving about Lady Iron Dragon when she's probably an old washout by now and is always glued to the screen when that Unikitty show's on. You never see me mocking her for it."

"That's because she'll kick your ass if you say that to her face."

"Say any more and you'll be leaving here with a brand new look."

"Thanks for the offer but I think I'm fine with the way I look for now." Cole brushed off his hot-blooded friend's threat, knowing what he really meant…

But he felt a sense of gratitude over the fact that the ninja's elements were just a figure of speech.

* * *

The Secret Ninja Force were led out into the wild by Master Wu again but this time, he took a different route. It looks like he's trying to get them to train within their elements. Today, his pupils had no idea who will be going. Heather and Aria already tried training outside in the bamboo forest and the only elements in the outdoors they could think of were earth and water.

Turns out they had a good reason to believe so.

Master Wu stopped at a different location from before. Now they were at the plot of land not far from the shores south of Ninjago City. The sound of the waves washing up against the shores were relaxing and the ninja almost forgot they were here to train, not have a vacation.

"Cole, now it's your turn to be in touch with your element. Come forth." The elderly man goaded Cole to go up.

The black ninja had no idea what Master Wu had in store for him and his teammates. As far as he was concerned, their elemental ties were nothing more than another one of his strange metaphors. But it looks like there's no other option for him but to comply to his teacher's command. He stepped forth to the small plot of land in which the old man stood.

"Now Cole, I want you to take a deep breath and feel the earth beneath your feet. You must put your mind at ease before a battle." Wu told the earth ninja.

"That doesn't make much sense." His apprentice pointed out.

"There are many things that are not what they seem. As a ninja, you will discern between dreams and reality but that will take time. Now, step forward and learn to be in harmony with your element."

The black ninja was still skeptical but did as he was told. At least training as a ninja was a step up from being cooped up in that mansion. He stood in the middle of the arena, closed his eyes, and let the rest of the world go by.

'Feel the earth beneath your feet.' Master Wu's instructions echoed in his mind.

Cole concentrated on the ground below him. The soil was soft yet firm under his feet and he focused on nothing else but that. The earth was said to be the one element that binds the others together. Not only that but it also provided protection, shelter, and nourishment for all beings.

"Now Nya, go and stand right where land and sea meet." Wu beckoned Nya towards the shore.

"Don't you think that'll be a little too far if you're gonna make us fight?" The confident girl questioned her teacher's request.

"Battlefields come in different shapes and sizes, just like people," The old man replied, "Remove your shoes and step into the water. I want you to really feel your element."

"Fine..."

The silver kunoichi rolled her eyes but did as she was told. She took off her footwear and stepped into the wet sand, her feet pressing ever so slightly into it. The light ripples tickled and soothed her skin. In a strange way, the tenacious girl felt her thoughts drift about like the carefree waves surrounding her.

Cole and Nya both took out their weapons and positioned themselves in a fighting stance.

"Begin!" Wu beckoned the pair to start their match.

Nya aimed her spear at her opponent and once she was sure her aim was set, she charged at him but Cole slammed the ground with his warhammer with enough force that the vibrations threw the silver kunoichi off balance. With his opponent down, the earth ninja relied on his fists to attack more quickly but the kunoichi of water dodged just in time. She distanced herself from him and swung her weapon. Cole jumped out of way and swung his hammer again.

While Nya had an advantage in mobility, Cole was physically more powerful but at the same time, the dueling pair had some similarities. They both took their time reading each other's moves nor did they waste any attacks.

Yet they also had their differences.

Nya's style of combat was perpetually elegant regardless if she made small subtle movements like the ripples that caressed her feet or swung her spear with a ferocity matching that of a powerful tsunami, exemplifying how tranquil and powerful the waters can be.

As for Cole, he remained firm and steady as the earth below him, fighting back only when he deemed it necessary and no one knew when he considered it mandatory except for himself, not much different from how no one can predict when an earthquake will strike.

They fought but there was no clear sign of a winner. Cole and Nya's shared traits in their fighting styles made them stuck in a perpetual stalemate. Wu will have to arrange a different battle next time.

"You two have been making progress," Wu praised his apprentices, "However, the challenges you will face will also become more trying. That is why the journey of a ninja may never end."

"Yes, Master Wu." Nya and Cole bowed and returned to their teammates.

The ninja's training was a slow process but Wu knew that patience is a very important virtue...

* * *

Luna and Iris journeyed home together and chatted along the way.

"I've been thinking lately," Luna started, "Since the Secret Ninja Force are getting a lot of attention, it might be harder to keep our identities a secret… And..."

"And what?" Iris tried getting the kunoichi of sound to continue.

"I don't want to sound rude but… it kinda gives me this feeling… It's almost like that feeling I get when I'm about to perform in public… I can't quite put my finger on it..."

"So you _like_ being a kunoichi?"

"I'm not sure. I'll admit it's more productive than doing nothing but sing and dream. I still have some doubts but enough about that. What I'm saying is that my opinions are not what I expected."

"I guess I can understand that. I also had my own expectations blown out the window."

"Oh yeah? What did you think being a ninja would be like?"

"I know it sounds silly but I thought it will be like those movies where they run with their arms behind them and making clones of themselves to do some of the work for them."

"That might be a bit of a stretch..."

"I know. But it would've been neat to do that kind of stuff."

"I'm more concerned with how Lloyd will handle all the attention."

Luna stopped right where she stood and Iris walked several paces ahead of her before realizing it.

"What are you standing around for?" The kunoichi of metal inquired her teammate.

"Don't tell me," The purple kunoichi started eerily… "You actually care about Lloyd?"

"Of course. He's a teammate. Why should I _not_ care?"

"You know he's not the only one..."

"I know that! I do care about everyone in the team!"

"So why did you mention only Lloyd?" Luna asked with a slight hint of teasing in her voice.

The pink kunoichi pinched the bridge of her nose. Even _Luna_ of all people haven't forgotten that little lunchtime fiasco. That was a long time ago so why does everyone have to keep bringing it up?

"Because..." Iris started while her eyebrows twitched, "Lloyd is the most hated person in school and if anything, he probably wouldn't want any more attention than he already has."

"I guess I can see that..." Luna shrugged and the two continued on their way home...

* * *

The next day, Lloyd saw posters of the Secret Ninja Force all over the city and Ninjago High, already a big source of gossip of the ninja, was an even bigger hellhole for him.

"Have you seen the ninja?"

"Do you know who they really are?"

All the attention was too much for the green ninja and the pressure finally got to him.

"YYYYYAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"

As Lloyd shrieked, his head inflated and then popped just like a balloon.

"LUNA!"

The two kunoichi were still walking down the streets of the city.

Yup. That was part of Luna's imagination.

"Weird things happen in Ninjago but not like that!" Iris yelled at her, bringing her back to reality.

"Sorry." The kunoichi of sound apologized sheepishly.

The kunoichi of metal rolled her violet eyes and continued home with her teammate in tow.

Sometimes, she can only imagine what her fellow ninja and kunoichi were thinking…

* * *

 **Don't worry. This story will go back to the action in the next chapter. Also, the poll at my profile will end at May 14 so please vote while you can. Again, please review.**


	41. Win Some, Lose Some

**Discovering Destiny**

 **I know it's late but we're finally at a good chapter! After a bunch of chapters full of nothing, this one will be a roller coaster of humor, action, & drama as the ninja will learn yet another important lesson of growing up so sit back & enjoy the ride!**

* * *

Chapter 40: Win Some, Lose Some

It was truly a bleak sight. The fields were grey with burned grass and smoke still rose from the embers that lingered. Bodies littered the sight of a previous bloody battle while soldiers from the winning side searched for survivors to either imprison if they were enemies or heal them if they were allies.

"Brother, we can't waste any more time here," One of the survivors told his sibling as he inspected the barren terrain, "The alliance is moving forward even as I speak. We must go."

The reluctant sibling stood watching the aftermath of the disastrous battle. He initially found himself unable to move but with an even greater threat looming not too far from where he stood, he followed his brother to prepare for what might come next...

* * *

In the palace far from the battlefield, noblemen and fair maidens feasted on rare and decadent treats set up in the lavish banquet hall. However, the queen who sat in the middle of it all with a dour face.

'Hmph. These simpletons can't even grasp what is truly important.' She thought to herself.

"Your Majesty, the enemies have been defeated," A messenger bowed before the queen, "Their forces have been severely weakened," He paused for a moment and then whispered to into her ear, "At this point, your plans might finally go unopposed."

"That's good to hear," the queen said apathetically and dismissed him, "That will be all."

After the banquet, the queen met with someone hidden in the shadows in her bedchambers…

"Nox." She summoned the mysterious figure by his name.

A man with bright blue eyes emerged from the shadow, silently waiting to hear what the queen has to say next. She opened her mouth to deliver yet more dialogue...

And suddenly, everything went black.

* * *

"Hey! We were watching that!" Jay complained at the ninja base.

He and the other ninja who were glued to the latest episode of Hands of Fate, the popular TV drama based on the critically acclaimed novel series of the same name.

The culprit was (surprisingly) Luna, who stared at the blank screen with a hint of dismay as well as the remote control still in her hand.

"Turn the TV back on!" Iris begged her.

"That's not what happened in the book!" The kunoichi of sound argued back, "The queen called Nora! Nox was supposed to be stationed at the Aldebaran Fortress at the time!"

"Wait. You read the Hands of Fate books?" Cole raised a bushy eyebrow at Luna's insistence that the show must be the exact same as the novels.

"Of course! I even finished the whole series!" Luna boasted.

"Stop! I don't want any spoilers!" Kai threatened the kunoichi of sound.

"Then what did you expect? The shows are never one hundred percent accurate to the books!" Even Lloyd wasn't too pleased at having the ninja's precious TV time interrupted.

"I know the shows and movies have to make changes but I can't stand the really big ones! Having Nox take Nora's place is nothing short of flipping the whole story over its head! It's almost like establishing a character's appearance and then completely change the design all of a sudden! It's unnecessary and will only confuse the fans!"

"I don't think Nox taking Nora's place is that big of a deal," Nya shrugged off Luna's concerns, "I do get what you're saying about the appearance change but I don't think the show writers will do that sort of stuff. The show already has a big fandom so I they're probably aware that it'll be a very risky move."

The male half of the team felt uncomfortable by her words for reason but quickly dismissed it as mere superstition...

* * *

The Shark Army attacked yet again while the Secret Ninja Force were stuck in school. With the newly christened 'Garmadon drill' ringing all over the place, teachers, students, and staff all hid under their desks and wherever else they can take shelter.

'If only there was some way to fight back at this time!' Kai thought to himself while hiding underneath his desk like everybody else in his class. He glanced at Iris hiding not far from him and he can tell she was thinking the same thing. She had a tense look in her violet eyes as she shook under her desk.

'And Master Wu still hasn't thought about hiring some homeschooled kids for this job...' The kunoichi of metal mused while the school waited out the raid.

Too bad the Secret Ninja Force weren't the only enemies of the Shark Army.

Again, it was Master Wu who had to defend Ninjago City all by himself. The old man always managed to put up a fight but not only the ninja but everyone in the city were concerned for his age. He won't be able to keep protecting the city by himself forever. While he was old, Wu never forgot many eons of experience and lessons. The whole battle went by almost like a blur to everyone else. The Shark Army were small fry to the bearded man compared to the battles he participated in during the Warring Era.

After the Shark Army pulled back, Wu fell to his knees, exhausted by his ordeal. He was a far cry from the fierce warrior he used to be. Not even his wisdom can bring him back to those times.

"Sir, are you okay?" Some bystanders approached him with concern but he quickly got up on his feet like nothing happened.

"I appreciate your concern but I have no need for aid." The old man left as mysteriously as he came.

"Where are the ninja?" Some of the townsfolk complained, wanting to see the new heroes again.

The elderly man knew his students will be concerned once training begins and was already prepared for all the questions they'll ask him once it's time for them to gather at the base.

* * *

The ninja and kunoichi were relieved when Master Wu appeared none the worse for wear when they arrived at the base but that didn't alleviate their concerns for him.

"Master Wu, there has to be some way for us to fight the Garmadon and the Shark Army during school hours. You can't do it all by yourself." Nya told her mentor.

"Where there's a will, there's a way." Wu dismissed the kunoichi of water's concern.

The ninja's patience were really being tested by their teacher's weird speeches, which he continued to dish out.

"A person's will can be their greatest strength, regardless if they can fight or not. The form real power has is never what one would expect."

"What does this have to do with power?" Heather asked, frustrated by Wu's figures of speech.

"There are many things, including power, that you must learn and achieve, which you also have to do by yourselves. Now, fretting over the past will do you no good. Training must continue."

* * *

As usual, Lloyd was working on the mechs during the ninja's breaks. He did have some help from Nya and Jay but no matter how much he enjoyed it, building things can be hard work. The progress on Kai's mech was going smoothly but the flamethrowers were still a bit of a challenge.

"Are you in need of assistance, Lloyd?" Zane literally popped up from out of nowhere.

"Don't do that." The green ninja shuddered at the robot's weird mannerisms.

"I apologize. I still cannot help but possess a desire to help you build giant machines." The white ninja remained at his teammate's side, wanting to help in any way he can.

"Yeah, sure," The green-eyed teen was as jaded as ever by the humanoid's caring disposition, "Anyway, did you come up with your own mech?"

"I have yet to conceptualize a design. However, I will still do what I can to assist you and our brethren." Zane still insisted.

'What a broken record.' The cynical Lloyd still can't quite understand why Zane continues to smile and seeks to help others when all they ever do to him is judge and shun him simply for being who he was.

"Why do you keep doing this?" Lloyd finally asked the android.

"Do what?"

"How is it that you're able to always smile and want to help others even after everything they've done and said to you?"

"What have they done?"

"You know, insulting and treating you like crap because you're not human. How is it that you still insist you're the same and acting like no one has ever judged you before."

Zane pondered over his treatment by the other humans and knew that Lloyd was right. He shared the green ninja's turmoil over being seen as 'too different' and even being shunned because of it.

"I cannot say it totally negates these unwelcome emotions I feel whenever our school peers say mean things like 'freak' or glare at me but my father sees me as a person instead of man or machine and you and our fellow ninja have welcomed me into the group when you could have treated me the same as the other teenagers. Even if it is just one person who will ever see me as the same as everybody else, that is all I need to be at peace with myself." The humanoid responded.

"Is that all?" The green ninja still didn't believe the ice ninja, "Your dad might be seeing you through a parent's eyes and even if one person accepts you, it won't be much when everybody else hates you."

"There are many people who are different. No two people are ever the exact same. Perhaps there is a minority in the city who do not believe you are not the same as your father."

"Yeah… You guys."

"Perhaps there are others who do not share the common opinion of the masses. I do not believe it is healthy to only think about what you do not have. Every person has something yet lack another. There are many things I desire but do not have. There is a difference between what you want and what you need. At least that is that my father told me."

"The only thing I need is to be alone." Lloyd sighed.

"Break time's over, you two!" Heather summoned the pair, "We gotta go training again."

'So much for that...' The green ninja scowled in defeat.

The world just loves reminding him he's its personal chew toy...

* * *

It wasn't long before the Shark Army made their next move which may or may not be a good thing.

The good part: it was during the weekend so the Secret Ninja Force can jump to the call. The bad part: For once, the enemies' forces were split, giving the ninja two different targets.

Some of the baddies were back at the racetrack to reclaim the items they couldn't get back then while others were at the downtown area of the city, harassing locals and stealing anything that might be of value to Lord Garmadon.

"It appears that Garmadon assumes that if he divides his forces, we must do the same." Zane analyzed the Shark Army's actions.

"Looks like we'll have to split up for the first time," Lloyd thought out loud, "But who will go where?"

"What if it's some kind of trap?" Aria voiced her concerns, "We might not be as strong in groups as we are as a whole."

"But can we really be considered 'strong'? If anything, it's because of luck we've succeeded." The ever pessimistic Luna said.

Wu continued watching the breaking news' coverage of the attacks, analyzing everything. He knew his brother would start becoming more ruthless as the encounters wear on. The ninja still needed to learn much more than what they know now. As always, time can only march forward.

"The ninja aren't always needed in one place at a time," Wu began, "I understand your concerns but Ninjago City is facing crises as we speak. You'll have to split into two groups."

The ninja still weren't sure about this but complaining won't do them any good.

"Lloyd, you will lead half of the group to the city." The bearded mentor instructed his nephew.

"And what about the other half?" Heather pointed out.

"Zane, you will lead the remaining ninja to the racetrack."

"But why does Zane get to lead the other group?" Nya complained.

"As a robot with an extensive database and an excellent record with his training in archery, Zane is the perfect candidate to lead the faction heading for that of the Shark Army."

The ice ninja accepted his role as leader of the 'splinter group' but the others can tell he wasn't all that thrilled about it, especially since it was because of his robotic features that prompted Wu to select him as leader of the faction and not his capabilities that didn't require machines or technology.

In the end, Zane still intended to uphold his duty as a member of the Secret Ninja Force. This was his job and he must give no less than his best effort regardless of his feelings.

"I will carry out my duty with utmost efficiency." The android still accepted the task without hesitation.

"That still doesn't answer who'll be going where." Aria said.

"Kai, Nya, Luna, and Aria will go to the city while the others go to the racetrack." Wu divided the team into groups.

"But why do we have to go with Zane?" Jay asked, not minding working with Zane. He'll never admit it to anyone but for some twisted reason, he felt no disappointment that he wasn't on the same team as the kunoichi of water.

"We're running out of time! We gotta go!" Kai already had his mask on and goaded the other to follow his example.

The rest of the ninja followed suit and set off for their destinations.

* * *

It wasn't long before the ninja groups reached their targets, Zane's being the first.

The white ninja used the lock-on features of his optics to pinpoint his enemies and immediately fired a few arrows at the Shark Army, distracting them and making them drop their stolen goods.

"These guys again..." The leader of the Shark Army faction sneered at the small group of ninja.

Jay swung his kusarigama over his head and threw the sickle towards the Shark Army. The long chains wrapped around the pieces of metal they were trying to smuggle and yanked them away. Iris stood in front of the civilians, holding her shield before her.

"Run!" The pink kunoichi told them and they didn't hesitate to comply.

The ninja already knew they'll get into another battle and they were ready…

Or so they believed...

* * *

In the city, Lloyd's group arrived in the nick of time. The area was in shambles with debris lying around the streets and more than a few stalls have been overturned. Many locals were either running around like headless chickens or hiding within any debris that could offer the slightest bit of shelter.

"Look what we have here," This faction's ringleader also taunted the group, "It's those posers again."

"Posers? You shouldn't be saying that," The girl in silver pointed her spear at her enemies, "We'll show you that we're the real deal!"

"Yeah! We're gonna bring the dinner to the table…" The red ninja paused for a few seconds, "And then we're gonna eat it!"

Kai's teammates, the Shark Army, and even the locals gave him incredulous stares over his corny line. Nya's annoyed eyes lingered at him several seconds longer than anyone else. Her teammates can tell she was mouthing something but those words will be unknown to all but the silver kunoichi herself.

"Never mind him!" Aria brandished her daggers, "We're gonna kick some ass!"

The ninja sans Lloyd heeded the orange kunoichi's words and began fighting with the Shark Army.

'I swear, being a ninja will be the death of me.' The green ninja pinched the bridge of his nose before joining the fray.

* * *

Back at the racetrack…

Things weren't looking so good.

Zane's group started the battle confident that they'll succeed like before and they were able to put up a fight in the beginning but something went horribly wrong.

'No!' The android instinctively reached for another arrow but found none.

However, he still had a chance to continue fighting.

The ice ninja had a couple of shurikens to use should he run out of arrows but they didn't do him any good. The weapons barely made a scratch on the enemies' armor and they soon ganged up on the ice ninja and began to brutally beat him with their bare fists.

Cole rushed in to protect his teammate but the Shark Army quickly dodged his mighty hammer. Even Heather felt her own stamina run out from constantly fighting with her mace. Both ninja had a difficult time keeping up with the Shark Army.

"This isn't working!" Heather complained when she missed her target again.

"Don't give up! We must -!" Cole tried to console her but got interrupted by an enemy punching him.

Jay was more efficient with his kusarigama whenever he wasn't being so self-conscious but seeing his brethren having the tables turned against him made the poor guy panic and a panicky lightning ninja was not a good thing. Some more thugs also surrounded the fidgeting ninja and knocked him onto the ground. Iris rushed to help her teammate but several Shark Army minions threw themselves on top of her, trapping her while they also pushed down the blue ninja.

For once, the ninja have failed their duty. The Shark Army retrieved the items they sought to deliver to their master but not before

"Just as I thought," The Shark Army leader spat, "You're really nothing but a bunch of wannabes!"

The enemies ran off with all the metal and parts, leaving the ninja in the dust.

Zane felt his teammates' stares aiming at him. Never before did he feel like a total failure. This felt way worse than all the times he had been dismissed as an 'unfeeling machine'. They had every right to be angry at him but he still didn't want it. On top of that, he was also confused. Never before did he have the most theoretically possible scenario in his database fail to become a reality.

"This was not in my list of possible outcomes..." The ice ninja was completely stunned by his failure.

What few citizens remained and witnessed the disastrous battle stared at the ninja, who can feel their eyes on them. Judging them.

"I don't want to ruin the moment but we should get out of here." Heather could hear whispers among the townsfolk and the ninja left as quickly as they can...

* * *

Lloyd's group wasn't faring any better in the city.

They also had a hard time fighting the Shark Army for some reason. The badly dressed goons seemed to have been learning as well.

"What the hell is going on!?" Nya was bewildered when her spear missed more than it got its targets.

"There's no way I'm giving up!" Kai kept fighting with his katana but he felt his body betray his will. His blades felt much heavier in his hands and he can only do several simple swipes before he collapsed in exhaustion. His sister and everyone else seemed to suffer the same fate and they all shared the same humiliation when the Shark Army decided to rub even more salt on their wounds.

"Like I said," The leader smirked callously at them, "You're just a bunch of posers."

The Shark Army left, leaving the ninja in the dust and getting all the attention from the crowds. If Lloyd had any self-worth before this, it had completely flushed down the drain. No matter what he does, he will always be nothing more than a target of everyone's hate. Some civilians approached the ninja but they didn't want to hear what they had to say.

"We have to leave now!" Aria dragged Lloyd off the ground and led him out of the city with the others.

* * *

Lloyd's group met up with Zane's at the very edge of the city. Both were met with disappointment over their failure to stop the Shark Army.

"I can't believe it..." Jay said, "We couldn't stop them..."

"We're failures." Nya added.

"I am so sorry," Zane hung his head in shame, "My miscalculations have led to failure."

"None of us could've predicted things would turn out like this. We can't have everything in life. That's just how it is." Cole sighed.

"How it is!?" Kai exploded yet again, "We just got our asses kicked by the _Shark Army_ yet you have the nerve of saying that's how it is!? We are a disgrace!"

"We can't win everything. It's a cruel fact of life." Heather said, perhaps to make herself feel less awful over this unexpected outcome.

"What I'm _not_ looking forward to is seeing how Master Wu will take it..." Aria pointed out.

"As unpleasant as it may be, we must return to the hideout," Zane replied, "This will certainly not be the last time we will face off against Garmadon's forces. We must recover if we do not want this event to repeat itself."

The ninja knew they had no other choice.

They'll have to go back...

* * *

The ninja felt uneasy throughout the journey back to the base and now that they stood before it, they were more tempted than ever to just run away.

"I already know what happened." Master Wu came up from behind the ninja, frightening them.

"We are sorry, Master Wu." Zane bowed before his teacher.

"You did all that you could for the moment. I can't say I'm not pleased by how things turned out. Still, you can't expect everything to go the way you plan them to. You'll have to continue training."

"But training is all we ever do!" Heather spoke up, "Even if we fully master our weapons, just fighting may not be enough!"

"I understand your concern. Some conflicts can never be solved with fighting," Wu replied, "You may have lost this battle but the war isn't over."

"Stop saying stuff just to make us feel better." Lloyd scoffed.

"To know the importance of victory, one must also know the pain of failure. That is a lesson I learned the hard way, much like you."

"You went through something like this?" Nya asked.

"Everyone has their own accomplishments as well as failures. Not even heroes are perfect. That is all part of growing up. Will you stay the way you are or will you continue to learn and grow?"

The ninja were just as confused by Wu's advice as they are with… everything else he says.

But that didn't take away how terrible the consequences will be…

* * *

 **And that's it for this chapter. The next one will explore the aftermath of the ninja's botched mission, how the ninja deal with it, & maybe we might get an idea on what Garmadon's planning. Until then, don't forget to review.**


	42. What Do You Think?

**Discovering Destiny**

 **After what happened last time, we'll see how each of the ninja will deal with their new reputation & as promised, we'll get to see good ol' Garmadon again. I can't believe I'm almost close to 100 reviews, even if it's only one person that's reviewing this shit storm. Anyway, please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 41: What Do You Think?

"Did you hear about what happened?"

"Yeah, I saw it on TV."

Whispers of the Secret Ninja Force's failure to stop the Shark Army spread through every last hall and room of Ninjago High. The ninja themselves felt even more tense since everybody else kept gossiping about them, not knowing they were right here. It was bad enough to get beaten up by the dark lord's goons but having their reputations harmed made things even more uncomfortable than they already were and if they get all caught up over their failure, they might look more than a little suspicious...

"So Nya, what do you think?" Some schoolgirls asked their classmate.

"Get out of my case already!" The confident girl suddenly snapped, startling everyone around her.

"Sheesh, what's her problem?" Several students whispered amongst themselves.

"There will be plenty of time to chat later. Now it's time for class." Mr. Borg had his pupils settle down for today's lecture, much to the silver kunoichi's hidden relief.

Nya could still feel a not-Kai-induced migraine coming up and rubbed her temple.

'This can't be happening. I'm a total failure.' The kunoichi of water was more angry at herself than the Shark Army and even her nosier classmates. She _always_ made sure she does everything from exams to training with only the very best of her efforts and as efficiently as she can. What she did yesterday was not her best. She could've done so much more but she didn't. She failed and failures never prosper.

So much for being her generation's Lady Iron Dragon...

* * *

Glares and jeers were an everyday part of Lloyd's social life so today wasn't all that different for him. But it was almost funny how the target of almost everyone's ire were the ninja when they're already hating on one of them and have been for years now. The green ninja's social life hasn't really changed compare to the others and he was actually more concerned for them.

A sudden bang next to his locker brought the outcast's attention to his scarfed friend whose forehead was touching the adjacent locker. The poor guy was already a bit of a spaz long before all this ninja shit and if Lloyd knew any better, he's already gone insane.

"I don't wanna be here." Jay's muffled voice whined underneath his orange scarf.

"Welcome to my world." Lloyd deadpanned.

"Teach me your ways." The blue ninja said all of a sudden.

"...What…?" The green-eyed cynic asked flatly.

"This is pretty much how you live everyday. Tell me how you manage to survive."

"Wow. You never really set the bar so high, do you?"

"No. No you don't." A random student walking by delivered the obligatory big-lipped alligator moment for today.

Jay wrapped his scarf even more tightly over his face, a sign he was becoming flustered… at least more than usual.

"Listen, I'm not that good with handing out advice. If anything, you should go to Uncle for this kind of stuff." Lloyd tried to comfort him.

"But we all know how he is with all those figures of speech and metaphors."

"Too bad. Life isn't fair."

"You know, you're not really acting like how a hero should..."

"Are you looking for a death wish?" Lloyd asked darkly.

"N-no..." The timid boy shrank under his green-eyed friend's cold glare.

Jay felt like the whole world had vanished, leaving all alone in the dark void with only Lloyd's emerald eyes staring down at him. Seconds felt like hours to the blue ninja until his teammate's attention was diverted by the warning bell but he still felt uneasy after Lloyd left...

To make things even worse, Jay still had no idea how to deal with all the attention...

* * *

Garmadon sauntered through the labs of his evil lair and the scientists can tell their boss was in a good mood today. They can tell is was because his minions have defeated the Secret Ninja Force for the very first time. If a bunch of hero wannabes can learn a thing or two, then so can the Shark Army.

The mechanics and engineers were already at work with the equipment the Shark Army managed to get from the racetrack. Garmadon didn't always tell all of his servants of his plans and some who were still in the dark grew curious.

"Forgive my intrusiveness my lord but what exactly are you planning to do with a bunch of metal and some ordinary tools?" One of the scientists asked him.

The dark lord's calm expression briefly changed to one of annoyance but because of his victory, he was in a lenient mood.

"The Shark Army will need some extra firepower to ensure my plan to take over Ninjago will become a reality. If they can take down the ninja twice in a row, maybe I'll forget your insolence." Garmadon said coolly to the scientist, who scampered off to avoid punishment...

* * *

The music club was the only time during school when Luna was more 'open' and everyone else knew something was up when she kept isolating herself in the corner today.

"Come on, Luna! Auditions aren't gonna give themselves away!" Brad scolded her.

"Sorry… I've been thinking..." The timid girl responded.

"You? _Thinking_?" Gene, another music club member, sneered at the shy girl who glared at him when he wasn't looking.

"I get it. It's about those ninja, isn't it?"

"Who isn't? Everyone knows about what happened the other day."

"Those ninja were starting to get ahead of themselves. A small bunch of guys in cosplay won't stand a chance compared to Lord Garmadon and his massive army of henchmen." Gene dismissed the Secret Ninja Force as nothing but upstarts.

Luna was suddenly tempted to wrangle that jerk's neck. At least she was trying to make a difference, not complain over anything and nothing like that smug Gene.

'What am I thinking?' This wasn't the first time Luna was annoyed by Gene's arrogance but there was something stirring within her she couldn't understand. All she knew is that it was there.

"Luna, would you mind letting us a hand?" Another group of club members called her over to help out with the props for the stage.

The kunoichi of sound was grateful for the distraction. There will be plenty of time for her to figure out what this strange feeling was when she gets to the ninja's stronghold.

But for once, she _really_ wanted answers and soon.

* * *

Dr. Julien knew something was off when Zane returned from one of his study sessions with his friends and went straight to preparing tonight's dinner without greeting or checking on him, which he would always do first thing when he comes home. Even when his robot son was done and they sat together over a meal of grilled salmon and seasonal vegetables, he still refused to say a single word.

"Zane, something is troubling you and I want you to tell me so I can try to help you." Dr. Julien said.

The robot maintained a pensive expression for several moments before he spoke.

"Father… what if I predict a certain outcome… and then it does not come to pass?" Zane finally asked.

"Why would you say something like that?"

"The concept has manifested within my thought capacities as of late."

The android expected his father to become upset with him or even worse, suspicious. Instead, he had an expression of understanding.

"Making mistakes is all part of being a person. There's nothing wrong with believing a certain outcome will happen but then it doesn't." Dr. Julien started.

"I am not a person..." Zane sighed.

"I did not design you to be perfect. That would've made you a complete machine and that's not you. No, you are far more than a machine. You are you, no matter what you look like or what your physical form comprises of."

"But who am I? Without my robotic components, I do not know if I will still be able to cook the way I do or if I always feel compelled to help anyone in need."

"I believe you are one of the kindest people that ever lived. But alas, who _you_ believe you are matters more than what _I_ believe. That is up to you to decide and that is part of the beauty of living."

"Am I alive or am I functioning?"

"I can't know the answers to all your questions. That is something you must find out alone."

'Alone...' Zane would've been fine with his father's answer but... he was always alone but he can never figure out if he was alive or not...

* * *

Cole knew he shouldn't be so dismissive of the Secret Ninja Force's failure yet he is.

It might be because his father probably sees him as a failure already.

Lou looked at his son's exams. Those study sessions seemed to have some merit since his results were a bit better than last time. Across the living room was that insolent youth staring out the window, lost in his own world full of that barbaric cacophony he calls 'rock'.

"Cole." The quartet dancer barked at his son, who gave a tiny 'hmph' to show he got his attention.

"Stop listening to that incestuous piffle. I'm going to perform with my band soon and I must be in peak condition in both body and mind. Oh and don't you dare think of throwing any wild parties while I'm away. I want you to always remain on your best behavior at all times. I'll see you later." Lou said flatly right before getting up and leaving the mansion without ensuring his son will be safe.

Cole finally had the whole place to himself but he was in no mood to keep listening to his music.

The earth ninja went for the gym and started lifting weights. Even without his own daddy issues, Cole was still wary of his failure as a ninja but not as a hero to the people but as a teammate. He wasn't the only ninja beaten by the Shark Army. The least he could've done was defend his brethren but he didn't and let Garmadon's lackeys get the better of him. If anything, his failure to protect them bothered him more than actually letting the Shark Army win. Unlike that ambush when he still wasn't a full-fledged ninja, he could've done so much more…

'I should've been helping everyone, not let a bunch of weirdos in shark costumes beat me down.' Cole started imagining the weights above him as the faces of his enemies and was urged to work out with even more fervor.

Looks like he'll be spending a lot more time here than ever.

* * *

"Iris, wake up." Karloff gently shook his niece awake as part of his weekday morning routine.

The girly girl groaned and sank deeper into her lacy blanket. Karloff was sure it was just early morning grumpiness and tore off the covers. The way she squeaked and curled up like a little kitten was cute to him but nothing will be as effective as the classic puppy-dog eyes look.

"I know school can be a pain but you have to go." He attempted to wake her up again.

"I don't wanna go..." Iris still complained.

"Is something wrong?" Her uncle now realized that this was more than just an average teen's hatred of schools.

Iris tried to come up with a lie to keep her ninja identity a secret but not something that might make her uncle notice something is amiss.

"I got into an argument..." She mentally cringed once she spoke.

"What was it about?" Karloff let his nurturing instincts take over and sat by his niece, wanting to hear everything about it.

"It's just a squabble with a friend. That's all."

"Iris, I know how you get with this sort of stuff and I understand. I used to be just like that when I was your age. Now tell me, what did you and your friend argue about."

The kunoichi of metal felt a deep pit in her stomach. She had to keep up with this stupid alibi only so she can keep playing hero. She never thought she would resort to such strange measures.

'Dammit Iris. This isn't the time to feel sorry for yourself.' She mentally argued.

"We had a disagreement over something that would happen. Even now, I still have this need to prove them wrong. It's something I always feel every time I get into a disagreement or if someone has some sort of expectation for me."

"You're only being human, Iris. We could talk more but you have to get ready for school first."

"Fine..."

After Iris got dressed and ready, she can only listen to her uncle going on about another lecture of the lessons in life he had learned. As far as she knows, Karloff was never a ninja or anything similar. While she did embrace many of his beliefs, Iris certainly will not turn out the exact same way as her relative when she reaches his age. She had her own life to live for herself.

But what kind of person Iris will turn out to be in the future… no one, not even herself, can ever know.

* * *

Kai was always aggressive when it comes to honing his swordsmanship at Ronin's Kendo School. Ronin himself didn't suspect anything out of the ordinary when he demonstrated his skills with the katana. But he still can't help but feel that his student seemed to be harboring much more anger than usual. The spiky-haired teen often snapped at the other students even when he wasn't training.

'I need to become stronger,' Kai felt his heart burn with determination even during the walk home, 'I must master the way of the sword _and_ the ninja.'

Memories of his comrades being struck down by the Shark Army flashed before his eyes. The images fueled the flames in his heart to burn much more ferociously than ever before. He quickly cut down all of his challengers and any obstacles in his way.

"What's his problem?"

"Nothing. It's just Kai being Kai."

"Yeah, he's being a hothead as usual."

The fire ninja felt his blood boil at the other students' remarks.

Kai never liked being seen as nothing but a short-tempered guy who thinks of nothing but chasing off anyone who tried to hurt loved ones. Not even he can deny protecting his friends and family was very important to him but that's not all he is. He still tried to do well in school despite hating it just as much as every other teen in this city and he did enjoy several things that didn't have to do with being overly protective such as… dancing… and watching wrestling matches with his dad every now and then.

Why is it that people can't see that?

He's never afraid to show the world who he is but they only seem to care about some aspects of him, not _all_ of him. Now he's beginning to understand why Lloyd was such a cynic.

* * *

The natural world next to Ninjago City was rarely visited by the inhabitants save for one.

Wu sat in a lotus position atop the mountains overlooking the city accompanied by nothing but a cup of hot tea to soothe his mind. The spectacle before him was one of the most amazing things one could experience for it is the memories, not the materials, that are most precious. Even then, there are also memories most people wish to forget. He knew for certain the ninja and kunoichi were going through that sentiment right now. He remembered when he was just like that, not wanting to accept loss and expecting to have everything he wanted given to him for no reason other than he wanted it.

Even the elderly Master Wu found it hard to believe that the naive youth he was and the old sage he had become were one and the same. People can change for the better… or worse.

'Such is the way of life,' The old man reminisced, 'The ninja have so much more to learn...'

* * *

Aria strolled through the streets of Ninjago City, feeling unable to think of doing anything else. She still had trouble letting go of any feelings regarding the disastrous mission. The ninja were still knew to this sort of stuff and it's only one loss. This certainly won't be the last anyone will hear of Garmadon and even the Shark Army. What the orange kunoichi was more frustrated about was that the ninja's failed mission seemed to be the only thing everyone was talking about as of late. There's many more things happening right now and there's other things people could be worrying about but no. Everything just has to be all about the ninja.

"...Some people are already doubting the Secret Ninja Force's capabilities as protectors of the city." TVs in front of one of electronics stores replayed footage of the ninja's crushing defeat by the Shark Army. Of course many people were glued to the screens and the inquisitive girl let curiosity cloud her better judgement, wondering what the commotion was about… and felt herself die inside.

The kunoichi of wind ran away as far as she could but it seemed like no matter where she goes, ninja paraphernalia followed like a her own shadow.

"Will the ninja lose again or will they make up for this humiliating loss?"

"I didn't even like those ninja in the first place."

'This is _not_ what I imagined being a kunoichi would be like!' Aria became aggravated by the attention, 'Sure this isn't the first time, like when I tried out for the basketball team. I thought I wasn't going to survive those tryouts...'

Okay. Let's move on to the next scene before Aria starts rambling.

* * *

Heather was able to keep up with her job at Blossoming Memories but anyone who came to the shop can tell she wasn't at the top of her game. She always had a pleasant smile whenever she helped the customers and wore a serene face while tending to the flowers. Today, she kept frowning and spoke to everyone in a lazy drawl and was easily distracted, which didn't happen often. She would've remained lost in her world if she hadn't been interrupted once in a while.

"Ma'am, you're getting the floor wet." One of the women in the shop pointed at the puddle of water saturating the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" Heather realized she was pouring too much water on the lily bouquets. Luckily, it was now time for her break and she could get a breather to sort out her emotions.

"Heather, is something on your mind?" Her boss examined her during her break.

"It's personal stuff..." She dismissed his concerns.

The shopkeeper had no idea what was going on yet he wanted to help Heather. It wasn't often that he came across a younger person in Ninjago who possessed an affinity for flowers and maybe that's why he had a bit of a soft spot for his young employee like she was his own daughter.

"Life can be hard but you'll have to overcome whatever obstacles get thrown at you," He started, "You still have so much ahead of you and I don't want to see you throw it all away.

"I know, but it's much harder than it sounds. At least for me. Whenever something bad happens, I can never let it go. And then I start losing my cool, get mad, and lose focus." Heather ranted, unaware that her voice grew increasingly frantic the more she talked.

"Heather, calm down." Her boss placed a reassuring hand on her back, "Take a deep breath and relax."

"I'll try..." The teal kunoichi went back to her duty and (luckily) survived...

* * *

Once Heather was done with her work at the flower shop, she bumped into a familiar face.

Literally.

"I'm sorry! Let me help you!" The apparently female passerby got up to assist her.

"No, no. I should be the one apologizing- Oh. It's you." The teal kunoichi deadpanned once she came face to face with none other than Aria.

"Geez, I see where I stand." The blonde sneered but still didn't leave her friend's side.

The flower-loving girl let out a slight chuckle seemingly from out of nowhere.

"What's so funny?"

"You know, this kinda reminds me of the day we first met."

"Oh yeah," Aria sighed, remembering their first day of middle school like it was yesterday…

And cue the flashback.

* * *

 _Heather and Aria were in opposite ends of the crowded main hall of Ninjago Middle School. They tried to keep their cool as they tried to find their classroom but were distracted by how different this place was from elementary school. While taking in the sights and sounds around them, both girls started to walk backwards until…_

 _They both yelped and stumbled when their backs suddenly touched._

" _I'm sorry!" Both girls apologized at the same time._

" _No! It was my fault!" They echoed one another again._

" _Uh… maybe we should stop…" The girl with the flower in her hair regained her senses first._

 _Once both girls settled down, they grabbed the papers, stationery, and everything else they dropped, including their schedules. They also noticed something about them..._

" _Looks like we'll be sharing the first class." The blonde showed her schedule and both had math listed as their first subject… as well as the same room number._

 _The girls stared at the door just ahead of them and realized it was where their first class will be. They might as well start getting to know one another._

" _This definitely won't be the last time we'll be seeing each other. My name is Heather Stewart." The freckled girl finally introduced herself to her new classmate._

" _Aria Fernandez." The olive-skinned girl said in return._

* * *

"And that was how the two girls became friends." A random passerby concluded the flashback.

The dumbfounded Heather and Aria stared at the background character before heading off.

"What do you wanna do before we gotta go train?" Aria asked.

The only thing Heather wanted to do was to get rid of any thoughts and feelings over being a kunoichi. Anything would be fine by her, from kicking back with a good book or sating her mild hunger…

And then a light bulb flashed in the kunoichi of nature's head.

"Aria, have you ever been to The Petite Corner?"

* * *

 **And that's it. We'll have to wait & see if the ninja will overcome their humiliation & become true ninja, which is a given since the events of the movie will happen. Review!**


	43. Get to the Good Part

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Today, this chapter will explore the ninja & kunoichi's various quirks & relationships. It may not seem like it but this fic does have a plot but I want to devote some time to show the characters' personalities & indulge in a little bit of humor. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 42: Get to the Good Part

All Aria knew of Zane's job was that he was working at a cafe and that's pretty much it. She was totally confused when Heather suddenly invited her to some place called the Petite Corner. Still, the spirited girl was always up for something new and it'll be better than all those McRonald's invading the city.

"Why did you pick this place?" Aria asked once they were in front of the cafe.

"This is where Zane now works. The food here's really good and you remember trying those cookies, do you?" The teal kunoichi informed her friend.

"Oh yeah..." The olive-skinned girl remembered trying the android's homemade treats.

Fortunately, the cafe wasn't too busy when the girls arrived and they were able to get a table without having to wait.

"May I take your order?" One of the maids asked once the pair were seated.

"I'll have the lemon cake." Heather took her order first and glanced at Aria, who was _still_ browsing the menu. It always took her forever to order something.

"Do you need a couple more minutes?" The employee asked the indecisive patron.

"I'll give the berry parfait a try." Aria finally answered.

"Got it. Please wait for you order." The maid left with the menus, giving the girls time to themselves.

"I always knew Zane was a wonderful cook but I never expected the place to skyrocket like it has." The kunoichi of nature confessed.

"Hold on a sec, Zane probably isn't the only cook here so how do we know if our food will be made my him?" The orange kunoichi pointed out.

"I-I never really thought of that..." Heather's blush almost hid her freckles.

"Then why else would you come here?" Aria gasped mid-sentence and then her expression changed into a very cheeky smirk.

"What's that look for?" The teal kunoichi was agitated by her friend's expression, perhaps more than she knew she should.

"Don't tell me… you actually _like_ Zane, do you?" The kunoichi of wind asked, never wiping that smile off her face.

"Of course not!" Heather said way too quickly for her friend to be convinced otherwise.

"If you don't, then why are we here?"

"What are you even implying!?"

"Face it. There's a bunch of cafes we could've eaten in yet you chose the only one Zane works at and this certainly isn't your first time here. You said so yourself."

There were times when Aria actually uses her head but now was one of the worst times for her to do that. Heather groaned in frustration before attempting to shut her down.

"Listen, liking someone is _not_ the same as being in love with them!" The flower-loving girl said through clenched teeth.

"When did I say anything about 'love'?" The orange kunoichi retorted, her smirk only growing bigger.

The kunoichi of nature sat there looking dumbfounded by her own words. As far as she knew, she had no interest in any romantic relationships and Zane just happens to be both her teammate and a really good cook.

That doesn't make him any more important to her than her friends, family, or even the other ninja.

...Right…?

"Thank you for the wait." The maid returned with the treats the kunoichi ordered and may have kept the kunoichi's argument from turning into a bloodbath.

Aria will never know if her food was made by Zane or not but she can't deny it was delicious. Each and every layer came in different flavors and textures from the sweet and fluffy cake pieces to the slightly tangy berry sauce. They all melded together in perfect harmony and she can now understand why this place is so popular now, even if Zane may or may not have made this parfait.

As for Heather, she found absolutely nothing to complain about while eating her cake. Even if it might be one of the best cakes she ever had, she can't get her mind out of Aria's remarks… nor can she deny that Zane was a very sweet person and she was very lucky to have him for a friend.

'Wait, is Zane really my friend?'

Because of their training and jobs, she and the humanoid didn't get a lot of time to interact and get to know one another. But from what she knew of him, he was very kind if naive. She did like him but as far as she was concerned, she didn't know him well enough to share anything special with him.

Their relationship was just like her classmates at school. They meet everyday but don't really talk and that's how it will always be...

* * *

Zane recently devoted his breaks during training in helping Lloyd build the ninja mechs. He still had yet to come up with his own design but he convinced himself he was still being useful to the team through his contribution on the construction of the mechs. Today, he assigned to help build the foundation for Kai's Fire Mech. Speaking of which, the fire ninja himself tried chatting with the android.

"I'm not bothering you or anything…?" Kai watched the android attach the metal parts together with seemingly no effort.

"You are not a burden. My experience in handling technological feats allows me to perform my task at an efficient pace in the midst of a conversation." Zane replied while keeping his optics aimed towards the compartments he was working on.

"Guess this isn't your first time."

"No. I have often conversed with my father while working with machines."

Kai silently watched the white ninja continuously working on his Fire Mech. He felt a little bad making his teammate work on something _he_ designed but he also can't deny he wasn't good with this kind of stuff. The only sounds between them were the those caused by the tools Zane used but it was still too quiet for the fiery human's liking.

"It's kinda strange seeing a mechanical being build another contraption made of metal and stuff." The fire ninja spoke up, attempting to start a conversation with his teammate.

"What makes it strange to you?" Zane tilted his head just like a confused child.

"You know, you're a robot and here you are, building what's essentially a much bigger robot. It's kinda like making a bigger version of yourself. It's kinda like Inception." Kai said and an ominous sound effect played out of nowhere.

"If my proficiency with machines stems from my body being composed of mechanical parts, then that will make you able to build a pair of lungs because you are an organic being, no?"

Kai and for some reason, everyone else were utterly shocked by Zane's remark. If this were a cartoon, their eyes would be larger than dinner plates and their jaws would've hit the floor.

Who knew the android could be so... savage...?

"I think I smell something burning," Lloyd was the first to regain his senses, "Zane, since you're the ice ninja, maybe you should go fetch some ice for the burns you made."

"Burns? But there is no fire here." The android said as naive as ever.

"Never mind."

"Kai?" Cole turned his gaze towards his more hot-blooded teammate, concerned if he'll have another outburst or even worse, give Zane a new look.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" Nya guffawed and pointed at her brother. The fiery teen was completely frozen, his expression unchanging.

"See? It's just like that!" His sister continued laughing while trying to keep her sides from splitting.

"You better get that all out of your system because break time is over." Master Wu warned her while gathering his students towards the arena to resume training. Nya didn't mind because she just found a new wallpaper for her phone.

* * *

It was lunchtime at Ninjago High but Nya and Luna didn't have an appetite. They were still able to take advantage of the time they had to study for the upcoming history exam at the library.

"The samurai… what they did was… protect the wealthy families…?" Luna tried to recall what Nya told her of the past warriors without relying on her notes.

"You could say that but that wasn't their main job." The kunoichi of water corrected her teammate.

"Then what set them apart from the other warriors during those times?"

"They were warriors tasked for the most difficult missions while following a strict code of honor. Once they received a mission, they will do anything to fulfill it, even if it will cost them their life."

"And what if they failed but still lived?"

"They would pay for their failures with their lives. They were that devoted to their cause."

"Y-you mean..."

"Yes. They committed ritual suicide. But times have changed and that's a thing of the past."

"I understand wanting to give up when something you're supposed to do goes wrong but I don't think killing yourself over a botched mission is a very honorable thing to do..."

"It's not all about honor," Nya raised her voice, startling Luna, "It's about getting the job done just as it should. There's no room for mistakes. Anything less than perfect is utter failure."

The purple kunoichi was disturbed by her teammate's outburst. Other students in the library hushed the confident girl but she didn't seem to care. Now that Luna thought about it, it seems like she never cares if someone else doesn't like her or express a different opinion.

'It must be nice having enough confidence to not care what others think...'

"Luna? Are you okay?" The kunoichi of water noticed her ally's gloomy expression.

"I-it's nothing..." The auburn-haired girl returned to reality and the pair resumed their studies.

But Luna still felt a shadow looming within her being. What it was, she may never know...

* * *

At the same time, Lloyd and Iris ate together at the rooftop but due to their shared sweet tooth, they only had a bunch of snacks from the vending machines and homemade treats Koko and Karloff made.

"These are so good!" Iris gushed while trying one of Koko's homemade sandwich cookies.

The cookies themselves were crispy and not too sweet, complementing the sweet and sour berry jam sandwiched between them. In short, they were way better than any of the store-bought stuff.

"I don't wanna sound like a mama's boy but I love my mom's cooking more than any other." The green ninja said while munching on some more cookies.

"Speaking of cooking, I finally got Uncle to make some zefir yesterday! Wanna try some?" Iris took out her pouch she carried her treats in, decorated with lace and ribbons to go with her Sweet Lolita getup. Now that the green-eyed teen thought about it, everything she owned other than her gi and weapons was girliness taken to the maximum limit and if possible, exceeded it.

"Zephyr?" Lloyd never heard of any confections named after a mythological character.

"It's a candy from our homeland and it's pretty much a marshmallow except that there's meringue and whatever kind of fruit puree you like mixed into it! It's always delicious but I like Uncle's the best! You should try it!" The pink kunoichi handed some of the fluffy candies to her teammate.

Lloyd wasn't sure what to make of Iris' offer but he let his curiosity get the better of him.

Besides, how could he deny an opportunity to try a sweet treat?

The green ninja bit into one of the zefir and was almost fooled into thinking he was actually eating an actual cloud. The airy candy melted on his tongue upon contact and the mild fragrance of apples filled his mouth. The green ninja scarfed down his share of zefir within mere seconds.

"Isn't it good?" Iris asked once he was done.

"Y-yeah..." Lloyd answered, slightly flustered by how amazing it was.

Despite their first meeting going terribly wrong, the young ninja and kunoichi didn't mind each other's company. Lloyd was content to have someone else give him a chance for a change and Iris wondered how is it that no one ever thought that the young outcast was any different from them… besides the ninja of course.

'If someone knows only the father, they will assume the child will be the same.' The kunoichi of metal remembered her uncle's advice.

Really, Lloyd didn't seem that different from any other teen in Ninjago… besides slightly alarming trust issues and cynicism. Nobody was perfect from the overly competitive Nya to Aria being an airhead at times… no pun intended.

The warning bell rang and the duo headed back inside.

"I'll see you later." Iris said but Lloyd didn't respond.

Yup. His issues may be a cause for alarm.

* * *

After another day at music club, Luna was just about ready to leave when she saw Cole walking up to her. She felt her cheeks grow hot the closer he got and she was sure her complexion could rival Kai's gi once he was right in front of her.

"Cole, w-what are you doing…?" The kunoichi of sound stuttered.

"I don't have anything else to do before we go training," The earth ninja was able to shrug with his big radio on his shoulder, "Wanna hang out?"

The fair-skinned girl could've sworn her heart stopped right then and there. She never had the guts to approach Cole unless she was asking for help with club activities or prepare for their daily training. It all felt like a dream and she pinched her arm to see if this is all real or not.

"Ow..." She whimpered over the discomfort on her arm.

Aaaand it's real.

Luna still can't believe this was happening. Her, the shy girl who could barely say her name in class was hanging out with one of the strongest guys in school.

"What? Say something." The dark-skinned teen tried getting his fellow club member to speak up but it only made her even more flustered.

"Yes!" The purple kunoichi yelled awkwardly, "First, I gotta let Mom know I'll be coming home a little late." She then whispered and took out her phone and began texting a message to her parent.

Cole felt uncomfortable upon Luna mentioning her mother for some reason. He didn't have a mother but that never stopped him from living out his own life for himself nor did he let it make him petty. He can't have everything in life and neither can everyone else.

If only his father can realize that...

"Is there anywhere in particular you wanna go to?" The purple kunoichi asked once she was done.

"I don't really care," Cole shrugged without dropping his radio again, "Whatever floats your boat, I'm all for it."

"We could go to the Noble Barn and see if they got any new books." Luna suggested.

"Fine by me."

* * *

Cole might've been spoiled by Zane's cooking since the strawberry pastry he ordered at the joint cafe didn't taste good at all, at least for him. He still managed to wash it down with some iced coffee.

Was it just a normally good treat that was made badly by a clumsy cook or was he being prejudiced?

But because this is a _book_ shop, the earth ninja gathered some books to skim through, mostly novels starring protagonists with don't get along with their dads.

What? Can't he enjoy a story where he can relate to the main character?

Then again, all the angsty protagonists reminded the earth ninja of a certain someone...

* * *

Lloyd's TV time at home was interrupted by a loud sneeze. The green ninja wondered if he was coming down with a cold but he didn't have any other symptoms so that possibility's ruled out.

If he isn't sick… is someone out there talking about him?

The green ninja abruptly shrugged it off and went back to watching TV.

* * *

Back at the cafe, Cole continued reading his book and observed his teammate sitting next to him.

Luna was completely engrossed by the book she was reading and had a pile of some more books next to her. She practically forgot about her drink that had gone tepid, even when it was almost full.

"Luna?" Cole tried speaking to her but it seems her mind drifted away from reality and into the world of whatever she's reading for the moment. The black ninja left the quiet girl to her devices and went to fetch some more books that caught his eye but every time he got up or returned to the table, Luna remained seated, never budging an inch except for turning pages or switching books. She didn't even pause for a drink but then again, nobody likes lukewarm coffee.

But she never paused to check the time. Fortunately, Cole did that for her.

"Luna, we gotta go. It's less than an hour before training." Cole warned the kunoichi of sound.

"W-what?" The normally shy girl could've sworn she was reading for only several minutes.

"We can't be late." Cole cleared the table and led the still confused girl out of the shop.

Poor Luna lamented her bad luck because she was almost at the good part.

* * *

Jay and Kai were glued to another episode of Hands of Fate and this time, they made sure Luna wasn't around to complain about any big changes between the book and show.

"Come on! Get to the good stuff!" Kai squirmed in his seat with impatience while watching Hans go on about his collection of 'antiques' for what felt like hours to the short-tempered ninja.

"Shhhh!" Jay hushed him, "They're talking about the Vessels of Power."

"And how's will that get the story going?"

"I know because I also read the books."

Kai was tempted to question why the blue ninja would want to watch the show anyway but he had to wait for the commercials because unlike Jay, _he_ doesn't know what will happen next.

"If you already read the books, why would you get all excited over this stuff if you know what's going to happen?" Kai asked once the ads started airing, wondering why Jay would get excited for something he already knows.

"I just like to see how the stuff from the books transfer to the screen." The lightning ninja answered.

"You're weird." The hothead dismissed the timid ninja. Jay was hardly affected since this was far from the first time Kai called him that.

Nya on the other hand… that's a story for another day.

* * *

Finally, it was Saturday. Since it's the only day he doesn't have to work at The Petite Corner, Zane now had plenty of time to do whatever he liked before training. The android went out to run some errands for his father, not that he minded. He may have been made instead of being born but Zane still loved his father very much and genuinely enjoyed taking care of him.

Zane looked through the list of items to fetch for his father, which was mostly this week's groceries. It wasn't long before he reached his destination on foot, or rather the wheels built within his feet. At the front of the store, the robot saw a familiar yet not unwelcome face.

"Fancy seeing you here." Cole greeted the android.

"It is an honor to see you in this circumstance." Zane greeted back.

"Don't say it like that. We're friends."

"May I ask why you are here?"

"I'm just chillin'." Cole leaned against the wall as laid-back as ever.

"That is not possible. The average temperature today is seventy-nine, which is not a suitable to lower your body temperature." Zane misunderstood the earth ninja's remark as usual.

"It's just a turn of phrase."

"That too is illogical. How can you turn a phrase or anything intangible?"

"Forget it." Cole sighed. Zane's naivete has a way of being both cute and aggravating at the same time. Then again, Kai's the same way.

"Does your family know you are here?" The robot kept asking questions.

"Who cares?"

"Would your father not be concerned?"

"Why would he care if his ruffian of a son and that so-called racket gone from his house? He hates that sort of stuff and if I know any better, he's happy I'm gone."

"But you are still family. Surely there is at least some familial love between you two?"

"I wouldn't say I _hate_ my dad but I can't say we really love each other..."

Zane was astonished by how hostile Cole's relationship with his father seemed to be. The earth ninja's connection with his father was very different from Zane's to say the least.

"Why do you and your father share no love?" The robot asked.

"It's a long story," The earth ninja dismissed his concerns, "Besides, you probably have bigger things to do. I could help if you want."

"Your assistance is appreciated…" Zane only stopped questioning Cole's strained relationship because of how uncomfortable he was talking about it.

* * *

Zane was grateful to have someone like Cole help him with the groceries, especially when it comes to carrying some heavier things like the milk carton and a bulk pack of paper towels. But the earth ninja didn't help only his friend in the grocery store. He can _never_ turn his back on anyone in need, even if it's for something as simple as trying to get a cart when they're all jammed in the rack or getting items on the highest shelves.

Throughout his simple task, Zane found himself constantly observing his friend helping others. He too liked to help others but he was rejected solely for not being an organic human more than a few times. But that didn't stop him from harboring gratitude for his teammate.

Cole seemed like a good person from all the times Zane observed him and the rest of the Secret Ninja Force so why would Mr. Charbonneau not like having him for a son?

"Thank you for your assistance." Zane expressed his gratitude once he paid for everything he needed.

"No problem." Cole stared at the android's constantly smiling face.

The way Zane's eyes always glowed seemed more mesmerizing than they already were.

'Since when did I start calling his eyes mesmerizing?' The black ninja was confused by his thoughts on his own teammate.

He knew Zane for a couple of years and sure those glowing eyes are guaranteed to grab attention but to mesmerize someone?

"Cole?" The white ninja inspected his teammate's suddenly sullen behavior.

"IGOTTAGOSEEYOUATTRAINING!" Cole blurted out and ran off in a flash, leaving the ice ninja stunned and wondering why he acted so unusual in his departure.

...Then again, the android's one to assume such.

* * *

 **And that's it for this chapter. We might see some action again in the next one so have patience. Also, there's only a couple of days left to vote at my poll so now's your last chance & please review.**


	44. Still Learning

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another day, another update. The ninja will battle the Shark Army once again while the interactions continue. It's not much but please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 43: Still Learning

Zane and Heather finally had the chance to hang out together during lunch at Ninjago High. They were at the rooftop with Lloyd but it was really just the two of them chatting and eating together. The green ninja, being the antisocial cynic he was, ate lunch alone in the corner while his teammates talked.

"Have you come up with a design for you mech?" Zane asked.

"No," The teal kunoichi sighed with exasperation, "Nature and technology do _not_ mingle well..."

"I can help if that is what you need." The naive ice ninja offered.

Despite knowing that Zane meant well, the kunoichi of nature felt a part of her assume he was looking down on her and she let her annoyance cloud her better judgement.

"I don't need you acting all sorry for me," She spoke slightly more loudly than usual, "Besides, you still haven't come up with your own mech."

"I have already used the tank as an inspiration for my mechanical contraption," The ice ninja showed his teammate blueprints for his own mech and unknowingly riling up his teammate even more in the process, "With my element being ice, I also researched the use of tanks throughout history as well as the ways they were utilized. It will also be fueled by freon cells very much like my body does and..."

The kunoichi of nature tuned out her ally's plans, feeling like an idiot compared to him.

"At this rate, I'm just gonna have to settle with a plain car..." Heather cupped her face in her hands in frustration… and then an idea popped up in her head.

'A vehicle that can traverse even the thick forests...' The teal kunoichi now pictured a large mechanism resembling a gigantic beast roaming through the natural world. The images invading her psyche even reminded her of those large robots from some of the anime Kai and Lloyd watch at the ninja base.

Heather suddenly got up and headed back into the school without uttering a single word.

'What's her problem?' Lloyd, having observed the whole thing, dismissed the her behavior as one of those things he had no interest in knowing.

As for Zane…

"...And those are the components I plan for my own mech to possess." The robot completed his long list of aspects he planned for his mech, completely oblivious of Heather's departure.

The green ninja considered telling him she already left but seeing him ramble on to nobody compelled him to stay put and let the ice ninja continue making a fool of himself like he does in school everyday. Besides, he needed something to entertain himself as long as he's stuck in this hellhole.

* * *

Nya and Cole accompanied Kai to watch him practice at Ronin's Kendo School. They didn't mind each other's company while the hotheaded teen was training.

"Is there any good music you listen to lately?" Cole obviously chose to talk about music first.

"The latest hit by N-Pop Girl's super popular but right now, I prefer EVO's latest number." The kunoichi of water answered.

"You have good taste… unlike someone I know." The earth ninja thought about his father, much to his own chagrin.

"There's something for every person to like." Nya dismissed her ally's remark.

Kai's ferocious battle cry broke the pair's train of thought and their eyes turned to the fire ninja, who struck down anyone who had the gall to be his sparring partner. Nya rolled her eyes over her brother's hot-blooded demeanor while Cole's lips curled into a slightly bemused smirk.

He could only wonder what life with a sibling is like.

Cole continued hanging out with the Hinata siblings well after Kai's kendo training had ended. Having worked up an appetite from all the training, Kai insisted they go out to eat before heading home and the earth ninja definitely wasn't one to complain. The fire ninja ended up picking one of the countless McRonald's in the city but Cole and Nya didn't mind indulging every once in a while.

"For real though, why do you think Garmadon wants to take over Ninjago besides the typical craving of ultimate power?" Kai asked after taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

"We can't know for certain but I believe he might have some unfinished business with Lloyd's mom." Nya answered.

"What makes you think that?" Cole questioned the silver kunoichi's beliefs.

"Think about it. Lloyd's mom never talks about what her marriage was like, how they met, or even her life before that. She seems to be hiding something that only Garmadon would know." She explained.

"That _is_ kinda suspicious..." Kai usually didn't want to agree with his sister's opinions but she made a good point regarding Lloyd's family history.

"I don't blame her for not talking about her past," The earth ninja voiced his thoughts, "Lloyd had no control over who his parents are but his mom chose to marry Garmadon and have his child. If Lloyd's already hated for something that's not his fault, imagine how his mother's being treated.

The Hinata siblings were surprised that neither they nor the other ninja were aware that Lloyd might not be the only one to face extreme prejudice by the people of Ninjago City.

"It must be rough but that still doesn't explain why she never says anything about her background that has nothing to do with Garmadon or Lloyd." Nya still felt that her questions still went unanswered.

"I don't think it's in our place to know this sort of stuff," Kai pointed out, "If there's anyone who should know, it's Lloyd. It's his parents we're talking about and we probably shouldn't pry our noses this deep into their personal lives."

"I'm impressed you even said all that." Nya quipped.

"Consider yourself lucky cuz I'm gonna tear our your eardrums if you keep talking." Kai glowered.

Cole couldn't deny the intrigue on watching the Hinata siblings interact. Plus, their arguments can be pretty damn funny.

* * *

Ever since it was brought into the ninja's hideout, Jay and Zane devoted some time sprucing up the TV until it was finally remodeled with a bigger screen with a much better resolution.

But what they first saw on the new and improved TV was not the latest episode of Hands of Fate. The wildly popular TV show was postponed for breaking news no thanks to Garmadon… again.

"The Shark Army are heading towards the plaza by the mayor's building!" Reporter Gale of NTV News alerted anyone glued to the TV.

"Yeah. Thanks a lot, Lloyd." Reporter Luke glared at the screen, voicing the citizen's sentiment towards the dark lord's only child.

The green ninja himself was as jaded as ever watching the news. Being the only child of the dark lord meant he was the one other person to blame for the chaos that befalls Ninjago City. He even began to wonder why anyone would still live here.

"You know what this means, do you?" Master Wu asked his students, tired of having to explain every last detail to them all the time.

The ninja still had some ambivalence from their previous failure to stop the forces of Garmadon. They knew another confrontation was inevitable but they certainly didn't want to lose twice in a row. While some wanted to make up for their failure, others had no confidence whatsoever.

"What if we lose again?" Luna pointed out the possibility of the worst case scenario.

"Everyone in this world must take risks. A child takes risks by going outside to play with other children when they could be rejected and an adult takes risks by driving to work with the possibility of getting into an accident. Risks are a part of everyday life." Wu was at it with his cryptic life lessons again.

"But we can't forget about what everyone said so easily," Iris also expressed her reluctance, "So many people have lost faith in us. How can we even call ourselves protectors of Ninjago if we let Garmadon have his way and get beaten up by a bunch of measly goons?"

"Being a ninja isn't about being admired or winning everything. You must do this not just for everyone but also for yourselves. You remember why you accepted the life of a ninja, do you?"

"We have no choice but to keep fighting." Kai said, his protective instincts proving to be much stronger than his past shame.

"Kai! Wait up!" Nya was quick to follow suit. She also had to make up for her loss if she wanted to be the best kunoichi of water Ninjago has ever seen.

"You must go," Wu told his pupils, "You also have to uphold your duties as a ninja in order to discover what makes you who you are."

"That _still_ doesn't make any sense." Lloyd quickly grew exasperated with his uncle.

"You will understand one day."

The ninja were still divided over if they should bother to go out and fight the Shark Army but the city and its citizen's lives will be in even more danger if they don't act fast. They were now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Come on! We gotta go!" The Hinata siblings ended up having to literally drag the more reluctant ninja out into the open and towards the battle… which was the very last place they want to be.

* * *

Fortunately, the Shark Army didn't accomplish much by the time the ninja arrived.

The ninja noticed that some of the spectators didn't look so optimistic upon their arrival but there was no time fretting over what other people think. They needed to stop Garmadon's plans from becoming a reality much more than restoring their good image.

"Screw small talk! This ends right here, right now!" The black ninja hollered and slammed his hammer onto the ground with enough force to cause vibrations within the earth. The Shark Army heeded him and immediately began a brawl with the ninja.

No one was sure when it became apparent but luck seemed to be on the ninja's side.

Despite their previous doubts, the Secret Ninja Force didn't have as much of a hard time fighting their enemies as before. Not only did they train on a daily basis but they proved to be quick learners when they really try. Jay grabbed the sickle of his kusarigama for close-range fighting when the Shark Army got close and the chains would swing over their heads. Iris also began to improvise by using her shield not only for defensive purposes but to even bash her enemies.

'Guess there's one reason to keep this thing around.' The pink kunoichi said to herself after hitting an unlucky Shark Army underling on the head with the protective tool.

The ninja and kunoichi knew they were able to survive every encounter so far because of the training they went through every day and they never used the same methods for long…

* * *

 _It was yet another day of training for the ninja but today might be a little different._

 _Jay's knack for tinkering even extended to the ninja's training equipment. He had Zane and Nya to help out so it was never too much work for him. Besides, it was something he really liked to do._

" _So what is this thing you want to show us?" Iris asked when the lightning ninja summoned them onto the 'arena' of the base._

" _I've done some work on the dummies and made some new features." Jay showed off his latest work._

" _I don't know," Heather peered at the effigies, "They still look the same to me."_

" _You shouldn't judge a book by its cover..." Cole warned her before getting his hammer ready._

" _I would like to see how you will fare with this type of training." Master Wu sat down to see how this will go for his apprentices, "Begin the match."_

 _The ninja formed a circle at the center of the arena with several dummies at the very edge. Everyone except Jay himself knew what kind of changes the training equipment was installed with._

 _Nya was the first to make her move by stepping forward… and the effigy closest to her moved by itself._

" _What the -!?" Aria was shocked when she saw the figures seemingly move on their own._

" _They're now remote-controlled." The blue ninja answered his allies' questions before they could ask._

" _Then who's controlling them?" Luna pondered._

" _Fight now! Ask questions later!" Kai shut her up while swinging one of his katana at the dummies but the one he aimed for swung the staff in its hand, knocking the wind out of him._

 _But he did have a point. There was no time to question the lightning ninja's latest upgrades unless they want to look like something straight out of a monster movie. They tried fighting the dummies who can now dish it back. This was the first time they fought something besides the Shark Army and each other. The dummies, carrying the same weapons as the ninja, were evenly matched against them. It appears this battle might not have any victor._

" _That will be enough." Wu put the training session to an end and the dummies went completely still._

" _Master Wu?" Heather spotted a tiny controller in the hands of the old mentor._

" _Jay entrusted me with the means to control the dummies." Wu answered his students' questions even before they had the chance to ask._

" _Jay!" The other ninja (sans Zane) yelled at the lightning ninja, who shrunk underneath their glares._

" _You didn't have to tell them that." The shy teen whimpered towards his mentor._

" _They would've known sooner or later. It won't make a difference. Aside from that, it is important for you all to know how to handle different varieties of experiences if you seek victory in every battle." Wu gave his last bit of advice before retreating to the back of the warehouse with a hot cup of tea._

* * *

The ninja of the present day remembered all they have been through up to this point.

They can't let one loss decide the outcome of the whole war.

The Secret Ninja Force memorized everything they've learned up to this point and they refused to lose again. They kept the Shark Army from taking anything that may be of use to them or Garmadon. The nautical-themed minions found themselves overwhelmed. Being the cowards they were, they started to retreat with their tails tucked between their legs if they had any.

"Don't let them get away!" The ninja weren't through with the Shark Army just yet.

"Leave them!" The green ninja halted his brethren.

"But what about -?" Heather was tempted to go after them but Lloyd stopped her.

"Garmadon will deal with them. He always does." The dark lord's son said solemnly.

"We couldn't stop the Shark Army but at least they didn't gain anything out of this." Cole sighed. The ninja agreed because at least they didn't really lose anything.

* * *

The ninja had to sneak around not only to get to the crime scenes but also on their way back to their hideout. Having been sneaking through the streets of Ninjago City more than a few times, they were completely used to it.

"That didn't go as bad as I expected." Aria let out a small sigh of relief.

"At least we didn't get beaten up." Cole added.

"I think we're starting to get the hang of this." Jay started to feel optimistic about all this ninja stuff.

"Don't get your hopes up just yet," Lloyd warned the lightning ninja, "We were only lucky and we still don't know what Garmadon wants… besides world conquest."

"Well aren't you the party pooper." Iris scoffed.

"Party… pooper…?" Zane never heard of such a word before. Not even his internal dictionary had the word in it.

"We have time to teach you later." Kai kept the robot from becoming too curious. That ice ninja can be too naive for his own good.

* * *

Being the free-spirited girl she was, Aria was always looking for something new to try, including food. At the Ninjago City Mall, she also liked to explore new places to eat almost as much as she gave in to her shopping addiction. At least she didn't get in as much trouble with this sort of stuff. And since the Secret Ninja Force didn't lose in their last encounter with the Shark Army, the orange kunoichi thought she earned herself a little treat.

Finally, that new place called Q-Tea House opened, offering yet another place to get bubble tea and all kinds of trendy desserts from ice cream rolls to frozen yogurt paid by the grams.

And it was there that Aria saw a familiar face.

"Kai?" The carefree girl recognized her teammate and even if they were not ninja, there's no way she could miss that ridiculously spiky hair. Said red ninja felt the feeling that he was being watched and he turned to see Aria.

"Let's just skip the whole 'what are you doing here' bullshit and give this place a shot." The fire ninja faced her and went straight to the point.

"Uh… sure..." Aria wasn't sure what to make of this kind-of reunion.

The last time they were together in the mall wasn't exactly pleasant but that was now in the past. The pair walked right in to the Ninjago City Mall's latest food-based establishment and rummaged through the selection of food and drinks.

"I'll have the strawberry bubble tea." Kai was the first to decide on what he's getting.

Aria lingered at the back, staring at the menu for what felt like hours to the impatient ninja.

"I'll get the cookies and cream ice cream rolls." The kunoichi of wind _finally_ picked her order.

Aria watched with childlike wonder as the employee mixed the ice cream and toppings together atop the ice cold surface, mincing the ingredients and scooping them up towards the center in a seemingly endless cycle until it was finally spread like a sheet and rolled up like tiny scrolls of frozen goodness.

The pair strolled through the mall and fortunately, it wasn't as bad as last time.

"You don't have to follow me." Kai told his teammate who accompanied him since they met up.

"I don't have anything better to do." The impulsive girl shrugged.

"I thought you liked shopping." The fire ninja blurted out _before_ remembering when he got caught up on one of Aria's shopping sprees.

"I didn't bring enough money." An embarrassed blush appeared on the carefree girl's olive skin.

"You don't have to shop every time you come here. There's a lot more stuff to do besides shopping."

"Yeah..."

The two sat on the bench to finish their snacks. They would've been talking by now but neither Kai or Aria weren't sure how to start a conversation. They were teammates and that's all. Aria may be friends with Nya but she still didn't know a whole lot about Kai, even if they were in the Secret Ninja Force for a long time. At least the only think Kai knew about her other than being his sister's friend was that she was capricious and would do anything on a whim if it entertained her the slightest.

"You already know why I like coming here so let me ask you the same," Aria got up once she was done with her food, "Why do _you_ like going to the mall?"

"I'm always up for trying something new, especially when it comes to food but I already told you that." Kai answered.

"Really? Is that it?"

"Hey, at least I'm not as bad as Cole."

"How is Cole worse?"

"Believe me, just say the word 'cake' and he'll go crazy for it. Cake is good and all but obsessing over it might be a little too much."

Aria almost snickered out loud by the way Kai described their teammate. She never thought the rather quiet earth ninja could be so obsessed with something other than music.

"What else do you like to do?"

"I also like watching Gundom and any kind of anime except for those moeblob or fetish-y crap."

"I do agree that there's too many moeblob anime nowadays as well as the plain shitty ones like Sword Style Online."

"Don't get me started! It's nothing but a Gary Stu eating sandwiches made by his love interest who's just there to be a love interest!"

"Tell me about it. I hate when a female character is added with a lot of potential just to end up being a shoehorned girlfriend. It's so degrading."

The pair then rambled on about bad anime and other things that annoyed them like sandwich fillings bursting from the other end while eating or people who park in between the lines.

"You know what? I just found out something." Aria said after she and Kai were finished ranting about people who make small talk with cashiers.

"What is it?" The fire ninja asked.

"We both like to complain about things we don't like."

"True."

At least that's one thing the fire ninja and kunoichi of wind have in common…

* * *

 **It looks like the ninja have been able to make up for their loss… for now. The ninja will have their fair share of losses in more ways than one in this story but you'll have to wait & find out. Review!**

 **BTW, thank you for your votes & it looks like an 'ordinary life' AU will be a thing. I already have ideas but if you have ideas too, feel free to let me know.**


	45. This Life We Live

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another day, another update. Here, we'll see a little bit of action but also that the ninja will have some drama outside of their new lives. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 44: This Life We Live

The Secret Ninja Force should've known not to get cocky with their good luck from before. The Shark Army gained the upper hand during this encounter. Zane tried not to waste any moves while fighting with his shuriken but his experience using them was terribly lacking and it showed. Several Shark Army minions dog-piled atop the poor robot and Kai immediately rushed to help him only to be struck down by even more underlings who now expected the red ninja to fight spontaneously and aggressively.

"Accept it already!" The latest General #1 stared down at the ninja upstarts with an obnoxiously smug face, "You're a bunch of wannabes who have no idea what they're up against! Go home!"

The Shark Army left the beaten ninja in the dust and stole yet more supplies for whatever Garmadon planned to use them for. The townsfolk didn't seem as disheartened as before but they didn't look so thrilled at seeing the Secret Ninja Force being defeated for the second time.

"And I was starting to hope we would finally be free from Garmadon and the Shark Army."

"I didn't have much expectations but these guys seem like a letdown."

The citizens' pessimistic remarks was like salt being rubbed into the ninja's wounds and all they want to do now is disappear from the face of the world.

"Some heroes you are!" One of the more spiteful people even threw a can at the green ninja.

The Secret Ninja Force left as quickly as they could, knowing they were not wanted right now.

* * *

Once the ninja returned to their stronghold, they finally let out their frustrations and it wasn't pretty.

"Dammit! I can't believe we let those bastards win again!" Kai slammed the ground with his fists with raw anger.

"As much as we hate it, we have to face the fact that we can't win everything." Lloyd sighed.

"Indeed, you do." Master Wu added, standing before them at the entrance.

"You'll also have to learn about gratitude. You should be thankful you didn't suffer any severe injuries. Now come and heal your wounds."

The ninja suffered yet another lecture from Master Wu about how they lost the battle but not the war. They knew they can't win everything but that didn't make the pain of loss any less humiliating. It will be a miracle if they won't lose twice in a row...

* * *

The only teammate Heather saw when she arrived for another hellish day at Ninjago High was Cole.

"Sup?" The earth ninja greeted her.

"Nothing big." The kunoichi of nature responded and joined him in watching the other students walk up and down the halls of the building.

The kunoichi of nature observed her muscular teammate and wondered how he managed to remain calm through everything life threw at him. She still didn't know a whole lot about his personal life but the Secret Ninja Force had a lot of hardships thrown at them and while they all handled it in different ways, the teal kunoichi just can't figure out what the earth ninja thought or how he dealt with all the responsibility and pressure. She tried to maintain a calm disposition but the life of a kunoichi was _not_ easy and sometimes, she did feel angry and frustrated. Yet she still tried her best to continue living life as she always had.

"Hey look! It's nature girl hanging out with music man!" An obnoxious voice taunted them.

It was Chen, which didn't surprise Heather.

"What do you want, Chen?" The teal kunoichi, despite knowing better, asked the male cheerleader.

"Don't play dumb and don't think no one noticed that you've been hanging out with Zane a lot lately." Chen glowered at the flower-loving teen.

"And what's it to you?" Heather narrowed her eyes with suspicion at the preppy jerk.

"Chen, neither Heather nor Zane did anything to you. Leave them alone." Cole said in a stern tone.

"It's what they're doing to the _school_ that's the problem!" The cheerleader complained.

"Then maybe _you_ should be the one who's homeschooled, not Lloyd." The teal kunoichi retorted.

"Heather, stop. He's not worth it." Her music-loving friend pulled her away and led her further down the hall.

"Chen, don't involve yourselves with those losers. We have practice after school." Other cheerleaders goaded their ringleader.

Chen still wasn't done yet. He always wanted to make sure he got the last word.

"We already have a bunch of freaks waltzing around in school and if you want to let one of them drag you down with him, the least you can do is not take the rest of us with you!" The cheerleader shouted towards the flower-loving girl just before she was out of earshot.

"Why you little- !" Heather lunged towards Chen but Cole held her back.

There was just something about Chen's remark that made the normally demure Heather snap. Almost everyone in the hall crowded around them, anticipating a fight, some even chanting for them to start exchanging blows. The teal kunoichi never felt so grateful for all her training as part of the Secret Ninja Force because she's gonna have an easy (and great) time turning Chen's face into pudding.

"Both of you stop it!" Cole pushed the arguing pair apart.

"What's going on here?" The principal marched up to the scene and everyone parted so she can get a clear path towards the scene. Chen and Heather quickly snapped out of it once they saw her, knowing they were now in very big trouble.

However, no one was more shocked than Heather herself. She had no idea why she let Chen's usually bitchy attitude make her go berserk nor did she let anyone's mean-spirited remarks about Zane until this point bother her. This was far from the first time anyone said anything malicious about the robot but Heather never paid any attention to them… that is until now.

Maybe it was because she now knew more about Zane and began to see the sweet person he truly is?

Or could it be something else?

Heather couldn't figure out any other reason than knowing the good in Zane that made her lose it.

"Thomas Chen and Heather Stuart! Both of you come to my office right now!" The outraged head of the school commanded.

Chen and Heather obeyed but still glared each other as they followed the principal, leaving Cole alone with just his hard-rock beats and personal thoughts to keep him company. He was also just as mad as Heather when Chen insulted Zane but it was no use trying to do something about it here.

Cole wasn't too pleased that Heather also got in trouble, even if she let her anger get the better of her. It didn't seem fair that whenever someone stands up to a bully, they also get in trouble or worse, the staff takes the bully's side. Heather's situation wasn't the first time he had witnessed it. There's many more times Kai was caught in the teal kunoichi's place than he could remember. Of course it did little to improve Lloyd's horrific social life nor do anything to stop bullying.

It's no wonder people say high school years are the worst years of anyone's life...

* * *

Heather knew she was lucky she got off with just a warning. But just like when Iris joined Lloyd during lunch that day, rumors have spread like wildfire thought it didn't surprise her much since this is what high school is like. The halls and classrooms were filled with whispers about what didn't happen from Chen ripping out her hair to Heather herself punching him in the gut so hard he threw up. She already dreaded how her parents will react to what happened but the other ninja were already giving her all kinds of hell for it.

"You got into a fight with Chen!?" Kai gaped at the kunoichi of nature during lunch.

" _Almost_." Heather gritted her teeth.

"And you didn't invite me!?" The fire ninja seemed even more upset that he didn't get in on it.

"How could she? You weren't even in the school when it happened!" Aria exclaimed.

"And you should know better," Nya added, "After all those times you were sent to the principal's office, it's a miracle you haven't been suspended."

"My parents are gonna kill me." The teal kunoichi's covered her face in utter humiliation.

"I do not think your parents would commit infanticide, especially because it is illegal." Zane quipped.

"It's just a figure of speech, Zane." Jay informed the android.

"You know, Chen said something about you that started this whole mess." Cole pointed out.

"COLE!" Heather slammed her hand over the black ninja's mouth.

Of all the things the quiet teen chose to talk about, this was the worst subject ever.

"I… caused all this…?" Zane wore an expression of concern. The last thing the humanoid ever wanted was to get someone else in trouble, either directly or indirectly.

"It's not your fault," The kunoichi of nature, "We all know how Chen is and I just let my temper get the better of myself."

"But what was it that Chen said?"

"He didn't say it word for word but he called you a freak."

"That sort of treatment is not unfamiliar to me. I have been called many different names such as freak, creep, and other insults of the sort… Sigh..." The ice ninja can't deny he didn't like being looked down on in school and even worse, allow it to get his own teammate in trouble.

"I still don't blame you for acting the way you did," Nya sided with her friend, "A bunch of people here are real assholes and I also would've given Chen a piece of my mind."

"And what was it you said about me knowing any better?" Kai retorted at his sister.

"That's because you're too much of a hothead!" She snapped back.

"Listen, it's all done and over with. All I want to do is to put it all behind me and move on with my life." The kunoichi of nature pinched the freckled bridge of her nose in annoyance.

Lloyd never spoke a word during the conversation, feeling a deep pit in his stomach the whole time.

He understood what Heather and even Zane were going through. What few friends he have stood up for him only to get in trouble for it. They should now know better than to not bother. Everyone in this damn school and even the city hate him all because of his parent. He was grateful to have his friends but he didn't want them to get in trouble because of him. This was his problem and he didn't want to grab more attention than he already has.

* * *

Luna never put much thought about having her personal mech but Lloyd of all people seemed to urge her the most to come up with a design.

"Since you're the kunoichi of sound, you might probably want to have something that will match your element like sonars or speakers." Lloyd suggested and helped her make some rough sketches.

"I don't know..." She hesitated for the umpteenth time, aggravating her teammate.

"Luna, you can't cling to everyone forever!" Lloyd lost his patience and snapped at the timid girl, "You should've known what you're getting yourself into when you agreed to be a kunoichi! You're now part of the Secret Ninja Force so act like it!"

The kunoichi of sound shrunk back from the green ninja's outburst. The way she literally shook in her seat reminded the green-eyed teen of a tiny puppy. He still wasn't sure why someone like her agreed to join the Secret Ninja Force. It's far too late to quit now and there's no time to act like a whiny little coward about it. Yet Lloyd also understood how the timid girl felt.

"Believe me, I know how hard it is to get into something you know little about. You can't always have everything you want and just dreaming isn't going to do you any good," Lloyd's cynical gaze softened into a look of understanding, "None of us are perfect but as long as we're ninja, we're gonna have to see this through to the end. At least that's why I'm still in this goddamn city. I have so many questions that only… Lord Garmadon… know the answers to and I really want to find out."

"But what if the answers are not what you hope?" The purple kunoichi asked.

The green ninja was surprised that Luna of all people would say such a thing. Sure, she was never that optimistic about this whole ninja stuff but for once she made a valid point. His uncle already told him similar things before but it only made him want to find out even more, even if they might be right.

"I can't know for certain but it's far too late to turn back," He tried to answer not only for Luna but for himself as well, "We're probably on Garmadon's hit list by now and we'll either face him or run away and let him take over Ninjago. Neither side is ideal to me but those are the only choices we have. Are you gonna see this through to the end or back out?"

The purple kunoichi was also facing another dilemma.

She began having second thoughts ever since the ninja's first real battle. This was far from the kind of life she wanted or even thought possible for her. Life has a funny way of never going as one planned...

"I'll… give this a shot..." Luna decided to stick with the team… for now.

While Lloyd went back to rambling about mechs, the purple kunoichi still felt many nagging questions bombard her brain. She didn't have a whole lot of courage and even if Master Wu told her she had a unique type of courage, it might not be enough.

But at least part of her didn't want to be stuck the way she is right now for the rest of her life, as just a simpleton filled with unrealistic expectations and depending on others for everything.

How will being a kunoichi help her?

Luna didn't know the answer and she wasn't sure if it was something she'll want to know…

* * *

In another day of training, there was also another break and Lloyd knew how to spend his limited time of repose. The green ninja went back to working on his Mech Dragon and this time, he was focused on its controls. If he'll fly on this thing, then the first thing he'll have to do is learn how to take full control of it and ensure it won't do any of that freaky stuff from the movies.

"Are you in need of assistance, Lloyd?" Zane popped up from out of nowhere like he usually does. The green ninja wasn't so surprised by the robot's random habits anymore.

"I need to work on the Mech Dragon's artificial intelligence unit. I never built anything with any form of an AI before. I guess it's kinda exciting but at the same time, I'm kinda nervous."

"My father has built many machines that have artificial intelligence installed within them.

"Do you think he could give some advice?"

"What about our vow of secrecy?"

"I won't say anything about us being ninja. I'll just say I'm curious."

"But we would still be lying."

"We're not perfect. Besides, we've been lying to everyone since we agreed to be ninja."

"I understand though it is not something I am fond of."

"Well life isn't fair. Deal with it."

"It is true none of us, not even myself, can have everything. However, I still cannot deny that this is not something I have no regrets doing. Yet this is the life I have accepted and I cannot turn back."

"You could if you want…"

"Why would you say such a thing?"

"What? You wanna quit?"

"No. I cannot defect from the Secret Ninja Force knowing many lives will be in danger if I do so."

"That's one way to put it."

"Our vow is not one to be taken lightly. There are many people who depend on us for the future of -"

"Yeah, yeah," Lloyd scoffed at the naive Zane's perpetual optimism, "Now are you gonna help me with the controls or what?"

"I apologize for wasting precious minutes. Let me be of assistance." The android offered to help.

The green ninja wondered how the humanoid can be so… full of hope… when he's been ostracized just as much as him. Then again, he's not a human being. He can only wonder what it's like to never have to experience certain emotions… such as these feelings over his father he still can't quite decipher...

* * *

The Secret Ninja Force were back outside to train in their elements, which would've been fine and all.

If it wasn't for the storm bringing a downpour of rain and a discord of lightning and thunder.

The noise of rolling thunder boomed from the heavens, startling some of the ninja. Luna shrieked and clung to Cole so tightly he winced upon feeling her nails dig into the dark flesh of his arms. Despite the pain, there's no way he'll have sleeves on his gi. Another lightning flash only made the purple kunoichi tighten her grip and making it much more uncomfortable for him.

"Holy shit!" Aria screamed at the sight of another flash of lightning.

"Master Wu, are you sure it's safe for us to be outside in this kind of weather?" Heather shivered out in the rain alongside the other ninja.

Another lightning bolt illuminated the dim sky but everyone was surprised that Jay never flinched one bit ever since the storm started and this is the guy who squeals whenever someone does so much as simply say hello to him in public.

"Nya and Jay, your elements may be opposites but here in the natural world, they appear side by side to create something much more powerful. You will follow their example in order to do the same." Wu goaded the two ninja to train today.

Nya nodded, always ready to try something new in training. As for Jay, he was a nervous wreck and it wasn't because of the storm… outside.

No, the emotions and feelings going on inside his very being made the weather look like a clear sunny day in the middle of summer.

The lightning ninja always wanted to team up with Nya during training but he also feared he'll hold her back or be a burden in general. She was strong and had a lot of potential while he was still a kind of a klutz with his kusarigama and he didn't have a whole lot of confidence in himself. He and the kunoichi of water were on two completely different levels. There's no way they'll ever be able to work together, no matter how often Jay fantasized of such a scenario.

"Aria and Cole, your elements are also opposites while keeping a strong presence in the natural world. You will also team up for today's training." Wu commanded them to also step up.

"I don't know about you but I think Master Wu finally lost it." Aria whispered to Cole.

"I haven't lost anything at the moment." Her mentor was apparently able to hear her despite the rain and thunder,

"Now begin!" Wu officially started the match.

The headstrong Nya was the first to strike, thrusting her spear towards Cole but he simply sidestepped away from her aim.

Jay grabbed the sickle portion of his weapon and made a dash towards Aria, who also dodged him and swung her dagger at him. The blue ninja swung his sickle again and the weapons met with a loud clang of metal against metal while another lightning bolt flashed at the same time. The orange kunoichi took out her other blade but the lightning ninja jumped away. Now that they weren't so close, he began to swing his kusarigama over his head. Aria leaped back when he threw the sickle towards her, which she dodged in the nick of time.

Meanwhile, Cole and Nya were also duking it out. Since both ninja wielded long-range weapons, they resorted to good ol' fist-fighting. While Cole had more raw strength, Nya was faster. Cole blocked most of her kicks but then she punched him in the gut, making Kai beam with pride.

"This is just like that duel at the beach!" Nya quipped before swinging her spear.

The earth ninja leaped as high as he can and brought his hammer down onto the earth. The incredible force shook the ground under the silver kunoichi's feet. The confident girl was thrown out of balance from the vibrations but she wasn't gonna go down so easily. She curled up her fists and was prepared to use just her physical strength to beat her opponent. The earth ninja caught the kunoichi of water's fists in his own and was surprised she was still able to hold her own against him, the earth ninja who worked out often even before this ninja business.

"You've certainly been working out." Cole couldn't help but smirk.

"I was gonna ask you the same." Nya boasted before putting all the strength she had in her fists.

The two were evenly matched but Jay couldn't help but let his concern change his priorities.

Jay rushed to Nya's side but Aria was not far behind. She slashed about with her daggers but the blue ninja swung his weapon and the chains created a pseudo barrier that deflected the orange kunoichi's attacks. The impulsive girl wasn't one to give up so easily. She charged towards Jay again, only for him to swing the chains so they collided with her legs, causing her to trip onto the mud. Cole let go of his grip on Nya and rushed to her aid.

"Aria, you don't have to run around and act so impulsive!" Cole tried to give his ally some advice.

"Don't tell me what to do!" The orange kunoichi scoffed like a pestilent child.

"That's enough for today." Master Wu ended the match before Aria could make another move.

"Did I win?" The competitive Nya asked.

"It doesn't matter who won and who lost in this sort of battle," Wu dismissed her, "You're continuing on your progress in becoming true ninja but there are bigger things to come."

"You've said that a billion times already," Kai interrupted him from the sidelines, "But these so-called 'bigger things' never come. You sure you haven't gone senile?"

"Do not underestimate a person solely because of their age." The old mentor warned him, "Come. You have done enough for today."

The drenched ninja were relieved to finally get out of the storm. It'll be bad enough having to explain why a study session or whatever story they made up to their parents would get them all muddied up. Still, this is the kind of life they agreed to and destiny still has plans for them…

* * *

 **Yup. Things are slowly picking up.**

 **As a side note, what should I do for my ordinary life AU? Should I make a compilation of one-shots or multiple short stories? Your feedback is highly appreciated & so are reviews!**


	46. Quite the Pair

**Discovering Destiny**

 **It's a bit earlier than I expected but it's time for another update since the Ninjago season finale aired in US today! Again, it's another look at the ninja & kunoichi's lives while they train and learn more about one another! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 45: Quite the Pair

"This ought to be interesting."

Cole voiced just about everyone's thoughts when Master Wu chose Kai and Zane to face one another in today's duel. With opposing elements and very different weapons, this battle between the ninja of fire and ice is bound to have some surprises.

"And begin!" Wu officially started the match.

The others were surprised when Kai didn't rush headfirst into the duel. Instead, he circled the arena, Zane doing likewise. He may be hot-blooded but he knew from experience not to always use the same gimmicks unless he wants his enemies to predict his every move. He may have a certain fighting style but he's not gonna go through that wash, rinse, repeat garbage.

With his automatic targeting features locked per request from his father, the humanoid needed more time balancing his aim. As inconvenient as it was, it's still the more honorable way. His primary intent was to deter the red ninja and if he was lucky, disarm him. Yet neither were very keen on making the first move and giving themselves away.

"We could go on all day if that's what you want." Kai sneered towards his opponent.

"I think you should be more concerned due to your organic limitations." Zane responded never losing his grip on his bow.

"Now look who's getting cocky..." The red ninja retorted but still had yet to make his move.

The two continued circling each other and the others were starting to get bored.

Everyone was surprised when it was Zane and not Kai who made the very first move. Instead of firing an arrow, he quickly grabbed and threw a shuriken towards the fire ninja, who barely dodged it and let it bury itself into one of the dummies behind him.

The battle has finally begun.

Kai ran towards his opponent's side and swung his katana which Zane dodged, which was what the fire ninja expected. He raised his other katana and would've struck down the android if that shuriken from earlier was his only one. The small piece of metal deflected some of the momentum of Kai's blade and Zane was able to escape without injury.

"So that's how it's gonna be..." The red ninja smirked, apparently enjoying this duel.

"I presume you have no qualms over this particular match." Zane replied before retrieving his shuriken from the dummy.

The white ninja quickly took out his bow and fired an arrow which his fiery challenger deflected with one of his blades.

"Not bad." Nya quipped with some of her teammates nodding in agreement.

Zane fired another arrow but Kai also sidestepped it. The fire ninja began to wonder why is it that Iris got to have a shield but he doesn't. There's no time to ask questions since the white ninja had another arrow ready. The red ninja wasted no time getting as close as he can and was prepared to strike down his opponent with his katana. The android barely managed to avoid the red ninja's blade and readied another arrow. He can't afford to waste any precious seconds and fired without just as quickly. The red ninja dodged again but barely as the arrow created a tear into the very edge of the fabric on his arm. The vain ninja had time to complain later because the ninja archer fired again. As long as he had that bow, he'll be able to attack no matter how close or how far.

Kai lunged at Zane again but instead of a direct attack, he used his bare fists to punch the android right in the arm, partially as payback for ruining his gi and mostly to get him to lose his grip on his bow. The ice ninja's arm felt sore and he tried to hold on to his bow but it slipped from his fingers. But this was not the end, not for him. Zane read of warriors who were willing to do absolutely anything to ensure victory and it was now that he understood why. He grabbed his last arrow and even resorted to using just the strength of his arm to wield it, that is if Kai hadn't swooped in and held out his katana, almost as if he was going to deal the death blow.

The slender blade barely touched the cool artificial flesh on Zane's neck and the tip of the arrow just managed to make contact with the skin between Kai's fiery amber eyes. The ninja were in opposites in more ways than one were locked in a staredown. If any one of them move, they'll meet their end, that is if they really were enemies. The other ninja also didn't say or word, holding their breath until one of the competitors can summon the gall to fight back.

"This match is over." Master Wu finally broke the silence and ended the duel of ice and fire.

Zane and Kai's steely gaze softened as they went back to being teammates.

"You weren't half bad." Kai commended the android while they recollected themselves.

"How can one be 'half bad' at something?" Zane asked, still the naive robot he was, "One can only be entirely good or bad at anything."

"I was trying to compliment you!" Kai quickly lost his patience with the humanoid ironically.

"Oh..." The white ninja paused for several moments, "Then I thank you."

The hot-blooded human slapped his forehead but Zane's naivete was still part of his charm and even Kai couldn't have him any other way. Master Wu observed the way they interacted and knew they will have more battles in the future and not just those of the martial sort. Fire and ice were opposites but like all things that opposed one another, they exist together to create balance in the world. Now all his students have to do is learn to work together so they can restore peace to Ninjago...

* * *

As usual, Master Wu sat at the far end of the warehouse away from the noise and drinking tea. Luna began to wonder if he drinks anything else or even consume anything edible besides that beverage.

'Come on Luna!' She mentally slapped herself out of her tiny distraction, 'There's no time wondering about what Master Wu does! It's now or never...'

"Don't stand idle," Wu suddenly spoke, surprising the kunoichi of sound, "There's nothing wrong with asking questions and you should unless you want to keep wondering forever."

'How does he know this stuff?' The shy girl asked herself before speaking out loud.

"Master Wu, there's something I've been meaning to ask for a while..." Luna shyly confronted Wu.

"Go ahead." He allowed her to ask away.

"You know how you already made some of us train outside in our elements?" His apprentice started.

"And what of it?" Wu asked, persuading her to continue.

"The problem is… my element isn't exactly something one could find in the natural world and it isn't tangible either... How will I be able to master the element of sound if it doesn't have any real form?"

The bearded man took another long sip of tea before finally answering his naive apprentice.

"You still have so much to learn." Wu put down his cup of green tea to begin another long lecture. The kunoichi of sound braced herself for his usual lengthy words of wisdom.

"Sound is actually the most common element in our lives and any creature will come across it, be it in the natural world through the calls of the birds to the rustling of leaves, or right here with Ninjago City with cars driving back and forth to even just the two of us talking. You have already been immersed in your element since the very day you were born."

"I never really thought of it like that..."

"As you learn, your eyes will be open to many things that haven't been clear to you until you gain the right amount of wisdom to truly understand them."

The timid girl thought about what her mentor told her. There really are sounds everywhere no matter what she does or where she goes. She began to think that training with her element really is possible.

"Then… does that mean I won't have to go outside to train?" Luna asked again.

"No." Master Wu deadpanned.

The kunoichi of sound sighed with slight exasperation.

So much for that...

* * *

Iris and Aria spent their weekend together shopping at the various shops of not just the mall but also in the many shopping districts scattered throughout Ninjago City.

"I don't have anything against cutesy stuff but don't you ever wear anything besides those frilly stuff from Baby, the Moon Shines Bright or whatever?" Aria asked.

"And what's wrong with that?" Iris asked with a slightly annoyed face.

"Nothing! I'm just saying it can get boring wearing the same stuff from the same brand all the time!"

"Hey! I happen to like dressing the way I do! If you have a problem with that, then it's your fault!"

" _My_ fault? You're the one who's acting all pretentious!"

"Do you even know what that means?"

Karloff shook his head at the little squabble between the girls. Teenagers can be so hard to deal with. He didn't want them to cause any trouble, especially out in public.

"Settle down you two," He interrupted their debate, "You have plenty of time to argue after this. This is supposed to be a pleasant outing and nothing more."

The girls pouted but Karloff took it in stride. Even friends can argue amongst themselves often and he knew from personal experience. He sometimes wondered what became of his old friends after many years apart. But they might be busy with their own lives, even in this peaceful time… or as peaceful as it can get with Lord Garmadon around.

"Now here's a place with actual variety!" Aria headed straight for the Eternal 16, Iris and Karloff close behind. Now it was the orange kunoichi's turn to drag them in and buy as much clothes, accessories, and anything else the amount of money she had today can get her.

Once the girls were done, they took a breather on the bench to talk about other stuff…

"Did you find another club to join at school?" Iris asked about her teammate's school life.

"I already joined a bunch from the yearbook club to the astronomy club and none of them were really that great but I have to say the worst one is the anime club. All that talk of it being cringy as hell is all true." Aria sighed.

"Uh… how so…?" The pink kunoichi urged her to continue, even if it'll reawaken horrible memories.

"That club was nothing but a bunch of weeaboos squealing 'Kawaii baka desu!' over and over and the anime we watched was all garbage! It was nothing but moeblob crap! There's no way I'm going back!"

"What about a part-time job like Heather?"

"I don't have time for that, not with our… you know..."

"But Heather's still working at that flower shop after everything that's happened."

"That's not the main problem. I can never find out what I want to do."

"Perhaps you can think about what makes you happy." Karloff chimed in.

"There's a bunch of stuff I like doing, like shopping, dancing, and experimenting in the kitchen…" The olive-skinned girl sighed, "But I can't decide if they're just hobbies or something that's really meant for me, like it's something I was meant to do."

"Maybe you can work at that cafe Heather says Zane works at." Iris suggested.

"You mean the Petite Corner?"

"Yeah! You just said you like working in the kitchen! Maybe that's the kind of job you'll like!"

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea..." Aria looked back to some of her more questionable creations like that squid and peanut butter cheesecake.

"You don't have to cook."

"But that's the only worthwhile job at a cafe."

"What about being a maid? A lot of girls in Ninjago City choose that as their first part-time job."

"I'm not sure. I'm never a fan of conforming to the most popular opinions."

"Just because a lot of people like it doesn't make it bad," Karloff joined in again, "If there's something you enjoy, enjoy it. Don't think about how many other people like it or even hate it. All that matters is that it makes you happy."

"Take my uncle's word for it," Iris added, "He always gives advice to everyone and he's always there for me. He always knows what to say to make you feel better."

"Oh stop it," Her uncle jested, "I'm just doing what any decent human being would do."

Even as the Russian relatives continued talking, Aria was stuck in her own world, thinking about what they just told her.

Is a part-time job what she needs? Even when she's already a member of the Secret Ninja Force?

The kunoichi of wind can't know for sure.

Then again, she was never truly sure about anything...

* * *

Outside of building her newly christened 'Water Strider' at the ninja's stronghold, Nya was still hard at work with mechanics. She didn't have as much time as before but she remained just as invested with her motorcycle as she had always been. She already had an awesome paint job planned out but first, she had to soup up the engine and inner workings before adding any cosmetic details. She reached for some couplers in the toolbox but couldn't find them. She quickly rummaged through the toolbox but there were none, much to her displeasure.

'Damn! I can't believe I'm out of couplers!' The silver kunoichi cursed.

Now the only thing occupying the confident girl's mind was running out to get the stuff she needed.

"Mom! Dad! I'm gonna go out and grab some stuff!" Nya called to her parents.

"You still working on that motorcycle?" Ray asked.

"Of course!"

Ray and Maya, knowing their daughter's aspiration to change the old motorcycle into her own, knew where she was heading off to without even asking. Still, even as sensible as she was, they had to make sure she'll stay out of trouble.

"Be careful and don't stay out too long, okay?" Maya warned her daughter.

"I will." The strong-willed girl promised before leaving the house.

Nya rushed for the nearest auto shop to get the things she needed for her motorcycle. She wanted to make sure it will be the best damn motorcycle anyone will ever lay eyes on. The silver kunoichi made it on time and she went straight for the aisle with couplers and that was where she met him...

"N-Nya…!" Jay literally squeaked when he saw the kunoichi of water in the same building as him which was neither Ninjago High nor the ninja hideout.

"Hey." The confident girl greeted him but the lightning ninja couldn't even mouth a 'hi' back. The silver kunoichi, having known the shy boy since childhood, wasn't surprised by his lack of response and took it in stride.

"What brings you here?" She tried talking to him again.

"I'm just running some errands for my parents." The shy teen finally answered after many moments of awkward silence.

"What do they want?"

"They just needed some tools to work on the bacon fryer."

"No offense but that doesn't sound like a very unique invention."

"My parents' bacon fryer is different. It has a perforated pan so it catches the grease and prevents the bacon from getting soggy. It also reserves the fat so we can use it for other recipes. We also use a lot of our inventions in cooking like the fried rice cooker that can prepare and cook three servings of fried rice in three minutes flat."

"Anything else besides food?"

"We also have that shower head that moves via voice command and the window washers that move on their own. So what are _you_ here for?

"I'm still working on my motorcycle so I need to fetch some tools."

"How long do you think it'll take to finish it?"

"I don't know," Nya shrugged, "With our new lives and Garmadon's raids, I don't have as much time as I used to but I don't plan on stopping any time soon."

"I understand. I still like tinkering with new inventions with my parents whenever I can."

"I gotta go. My parents won't let me hear the end of it if I come home late."

"I'd like to see your parents some time. They seem like really cool people. See you later." Nya bade the lightning ninja farewell and left, leaving him the nervous wreck he always was.

Jay wasn't sure if Nya wanting to meet his parents will be a good or bad thing. As much as he loves his parents, they can be extremely embarrassing. He can never forget how everyone in school found out he still sleeps with his beloved childhood toy Mr. Cuddlywop through his parents' many stories during parent teacher night. God knows what kind of deep dark secrets they'll reveal to her. They better not tell Nya of the time he sat on a chocolate bar at the mall, tried washing his pants in the bathroom but got caught in his underwear so he ran off with toilet paper stuck to his shoe, and then ran right into a stop sign. It's best that no one _ever_ finds out about that, especially Nya and the other ninja...

* * *

During the ninja's daily training, Iris went up against several remote-controlled dummies. The kunoichi of metal stood her ground as they crept closer towards her. She was becoming anxious but she had to remain still if she wants her plan to succeed. The figures inched ever closer until it seemed like there was no way out, which was exactly what she planned.

With a loud battle cry, she swung her sword with all her might and sliced through at least two effigies.

"That was impressive." Cole congratulated the pink kunoichi on a splendid demonstration.

"It's no biggie," She boasted, "Wait until I fully master my sword and shield! Garmadon and the Shark Army won't know what hit 'em!"

Once Iris settled down, Master Wu approached her for reasons she didn't understand. She did well in today's training so why would she be in trouble?

"Your abilities with your weapons have improved but I sense a refusal to change in you." Wu told her in his usual mysterious ways.

"What are you talking about? I'm fine the way I am." The pink kunoichi insisted.

"Clearly you are more than what even you assume, for good and bad."

Iris still had trouble deciphering her teacher's advice. She seems to be doing okay and that's the only thing that mattered for now...

* * *

Zane rested on his bed back home, recharging for another day in Ninjago. While he primarily focused on honing his archery skills without relying on his technological advancements, he never forgot about his main reason in joining the Secret Ninja Force.

Even to this day he yearned to be seen and treated just the same as every other human in Ninjago.

The ice ninja's thoughts then drifted to his friends and allies who were as varied as their elements.

Kai and Nya were similar yet different at the same time and their interactions fascinated the android. He wondered what his life would be like if his father built another robot child. Jay and Luna were very shy but he can tell they had potential. Jay was much smarter than he believed and Luna did appear to have other interests besides music with the way she cared for Varjo at the hideout and spent much of their daily breaks reading whatever books they have. Aria may be a capricious girl but she showed lots of potential and Iris showed more strength than her cutesy appearance lets on.

And then there were those two who were most prominent to him.

Heather and Cole...

Cole seemed like a quiet young man but he proved to be a strong ninja who can hold his own in battle. Other than that, he was always eager to help anyone in need, much like the android himself. But the biggest difference was that everyone accepted the black ninja's assistance while they always rebuffed his attempts to help them only because he was not an organic being. Zane didn't know what Cole had besides being a human and he wanted it.

But was that what it is?

Did Cole have something that Zane didn't have even if they were both human?

And does he even want it or is that how he even feels?

Every person was different so the android wasn't sure if he'll ever get the answer.

Cole also never seemed happy at all whenever he spoke of his father, which seemed to be the biggest difference between the two. Zane and his father had a very loving relationship and he never fathomed the concept of bearing any negative feelings towards one's parents before he met Cole and Lloyd.

Family issues aside, Zane still remembered Cole telling him he viewed all life as precious. He remained unsure if he is truly alive or is functioning according to his programming.

But if he was not a living being, then why would the earth ninja say something like that to him?

All these thoughts about living things brought him to his other teammate.

As for Heather, there was also something about her that always made him feel at peace whenever she was around. They were very different so that might be a clue to him. He was a robot while she was an organic human girl who had a profound connection with the natural world. It was ironic that he felt a sense of appreciation for that same world when he doesn't belong in it. And despite her affinity with flowers, Heather was always kind to him, a robot. Whenever she was around, Zane wanted to be near her and help her walk down the path of the ninja more than any other. The ice ninja didn't know why he felt this way only with Heather and no one else.

He would've thought of Heather or Cole even more if his systems hadn't shut down right now.

* * *

 **Don't worry. This story will get back to the action soon.**

 **With the season finale finally aired, I have several thoughts about this season & I might put them up one day. Also, I still can't decide how to put up my ordinary AU stories, which you can check out at my profile if you're curious. As always, review!**


	47. Play Catch

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Okay. We're gonna go back to the action in this chapter as well as humor & a reference to the movie itself & even the show. I promise you, this story _will_ get to the events of the movie but I want to establish and develop the characters some more. In the meantime, please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 46: Play Catch

Jay gulped when he stepped into the arena at the ninja hideout. He bore no complaints about having to fight against the other ninja, mostly because there's no use complaining over it. However, there are two particular ninja he never wanted to face in battle, even if it's just training: Nya and Cole. He knew he'll never stand a chance against them. With Nya, there's no way he could even bring himself to put her in harm's way, even if she can take care of herself, as well as her being way out of his league. Cole was pretty much the same. With those large muscles, Jay looked like a twig in comparison.

Cole still wore the same jaded expression as usual, which gave the lightning ninja a more difficult time trying to decipher what he was thinking.

'He probably thinks I'm a wimp.' Jay shook and felt his hold on his kusarigama falter.

"Don't just stand there. Do something." The earth ninja said, which was what set off the shy ninja into panic mode.

Jay dropped his weapon with an unceremonious clang and even that noise made him jump. The earth ninja only raised a bushy eyebrow at his teammate's spazzy behavior. The blue ninja only became even more flustered, fearing what Cole and the others, especially Nya, might think.

"Witnesses have allegedly spotted the Shark Army at the beach. It's true that Lord Garmadon has his volcano lair situated within its vicinity but he never sends out his minions unless he has something up his four sleeves… which he always is." Gale said through her live coverage on NTV.

Jay wasn't sure whether to sigh in relief or panic over the news.

"Alright, we know what this means." Kai said nonchalantly whilst grabbing his katana.

"Not so fast." The voice of his mentor interrupted the fire ninja from rushing off.

"What now?" Lloyd muttered, used to his uncle's eccentricities.

"Only some of you will go today." Master Wu said.

"And they are…?" Aria began, expecting him to finish for her.

"Kai, Nya, and Jay. You three will go on today's mission." Wu appointed them to go on today's mission.

"Then why did you stop me in the first place?" Kai complained.

"Because you never think," Nya retorted before turning to Jay, "You think you're up for it?" She asked her timid teammate.

"W-w-whatever you s-say!" The lightning ninja stuttered also unsure of going on a mission with Nya.

"Who else will go?" Heather asked.

"Lloyd, of course." Wu selected his nephew.

"Why me?" The green ninja bemoaned his horrible lot in life.

"Because you're the leader and Garmadon's son. It's part of being related to the bad guy and because you're the main character." Once again, Wu spoke like the ninja were being watched by some strange and terrifying outside force.

"Anyone else?"

Wu examined his remaining students and had his eyes on one in particular.

"Luna, you still need more lessons in courage which is exactly why you're going too." He answered.

"What?" The kunoichi of sound wasn't exactly thrilled at being selected, "Why am I going? The others would be a better choice!"

"You cannot try resisting the flow of time. That will only give you even more things to worry about and you cannot truly grow and learn to become the kind of person you truly want to be."

Luna compulsively bit her lip. She knew Wu was right but she still didn't have the courage needed to be a true ninja. She wasn't happy not having that courage yet that was the person she was.

"Luna, you need to step up for once." Heather goaded her.

"Yeah. You gotta be more assertive take action." Nya also tried getting the purple kunoichi to muster at least a little bit of courage.

Luna looked towards the remaining ninja and all of them seemed to side with Heather and Nya.

"I-I'll try..." The purple kunoichi grabbed her sai and accepted her task.

"Now go." Master Wu sent off the team to put a stop to his brother's latest scheme...

* * *

The designated ninja arrived at the beach but unlike before, several onlookers weren't exactly thrilled to see them again, especially after failing to stop the enemies last time.

"Great. Just what we need. Even more troublemakers." Some scoffed at the sight of the ninja.

The ninja tried not to pay heed to the cynical comments, not as long as Ninjago City was in danger. So far, this small group of underlings haven't done anything drastic but they seemed determined to keep what looked like a bunch of blueprints away from them.

"Where did you get that!?" The silver kunoichi pointed at the objects in the Shark Army's arms.

"We'll end this with a one-on-one battle!" The green ninja brandished his sword.

"And what? Get your ass handed to you so you can go crying to Mommy?" General #1 taunted.

"On second thought, that may be a better idea." Lloyd deadpanned.

"Lloyd, you can't give up now!" Nya hissed at him.

"What about us?" Jay whined.

"None of us are giving up," Kai answered, "We'll keep fighting to the very end!"

The ninja charged (with Nya dragging Jay) into battle. Of course Lloyd, Kai, and Nya were headstrong in battle while Jay and Luna remained apprehensive. Luna still used her sai mainly to defend herself and Jay relied on his kusarigama to keep a large distance between himself and the Shark Army. Lloyd went after today's General #1 to get the blueprints. The Shark Army leader also fought with a sword, making it feel like those classic duels from those samurai anime Lloyd watched in his childhood. However, this is real life, not a cartoon. The green ninja channeled everything he learned into this battle. Both blades met with loud clangs and flashes of reflected sunlight. As tempted as he was to cut his enemies down and get it over with, Lloyd also had to make sure to foil Lord Garmadon's plans, even if he has no clue what they are.

General #1 mind was completely focused on defeating the green ninja he briefly neglected the scrolls and it was too late when he realized they were slipping from his grasp.

'Shit! The plans!' The Shark Army leader grabbed them but the green ninja also did at the same time.

"What is Garmadon planning!?" Lloyd interrogated the leader during their round of tug-o-war.

"That's for us to know and for you to find out… But we don't want you to find out… So it's only for us to know." General #1 still held onto the blueprints. The other ninja joined their teammate and so did the Shark Army.

"Stop! You're gonna rip them up!" The baddies' leader complained. Being the idiotic goons they were, they let go. Unfortunately, the momentum threw the ninja off guard. At least the scrolls were closer to them than the Shark Army. The green ninja was the first to recover and grabbed them.

"Catch!" Lloyd tossed the blueprints towards Luna but…

The scrolls fell a mere couple of feet… _behind_ the green ninja.

Everyone and everything fell silent the second the blueprints landed on the ground. No one had ever thought of all the things any of the ninja would be bad at, it would be throwing stuff.

Back at the hideout, the remaining ninja watched the whole thing through NTV's live coverage. They too were unimpressed by Lloyd's inability to throw anything.

"He knows how to fight with a sword and even build a big mechanical dragon yet he can't even throw piece of paper!?" Iris let her temper fly.

"Learning to throw is a father-son tradition. You do the math." Master Wu said before taking another sip of tea.

Meanwhile, the other ninja who stayed behind had no idea how to react to Lloyd's… quirk.

Back at the beach, there was still stunned silence over Lloyd's atrocious throwing skills though no one was as mortified as the green ninja himself. Even if everyone can see only his matching eyes, they can tell he wanted to bury himself alive. Even the Shark Army did nothing but gawk at the green ninja like he was some horrid creature from a cheap monster movie.

"Quit standing there and get those blueprints!" General #1 snapped out of it first and ordered the rest of the minions to grab them.

The minions made a dash for the scrolls but the blue ninja beat them to it, snatching them as quickly as a flash of lightning. The ninja shifted into a fighting stance, ready to take on the Shark Army if they dare to reclaim the blueprints.

"We could do this the easy way or the hard way." The red ninja gave them an ultimatum.

The Shark Army, already exhausted from battle, knew that whatever choice they made will not bring any ups for them.

"You… you don't know what you're doing…!" One of them tried to save face only to look like an idiot.

"Whatever! The point is we'll never let Garmadon have his way!" The silver kunoichi boasted.

The Shark Army may still be around but today, the ninja were able to keep them and Garmadon from getting what they wanted. It was still something of a victory for them.

* * *

The ninja arrived back at the warehouse with the blueprints, much to the others' relief…

...And Lloyd's horror.

"We saw the whole thing on TV!" Aria exclaimed, "And Lloyd! You can't throw anything at all!?"

"Believe me, it was just as shocking in real life." Luna pointed out, adding insult to injury for the poor green ninja.

"Even I did not expect our teammate's throwing capabilities to be so low." Even Zane chimed in on the ninja's comments about Lloyd's inability to throw.

"Okay! I can't throw! Nobody's perfect so can we just move on already!?" Lloyd complained.

"Do you still have the blueprints with you?" Master Wu asked, saving his young nephew from further humiliation by the rest of his students.

"Yes. We managed to get the blueprints from the Shark Army." Jay handed the scrolls over to Wu. The old mentor unraveled them to reveal…

"We went through all that trouble just to know what Garmadon freakin' eats!?" Kai exploded.

The supposed blueprints were really just a recipe to make what appeared to be a complicated recipe for a giant sandwich. The ninja and kunoichi gaped at the contents of the so-called blueprints, some of them starting to wonder if Lord Garmadon really is a legitimate threat to Ninjago.

"I-I-I just don't get it… Is there something we're supposed to get out of this…?" Heather scratched her head in confusion.

"My brother has his unusual way of doing things," Master Wu shook his head over the contents of the supposedly important blueprints, "What's done is done. Garmadon will not stop with his ambitions. It is best to put this behind us and prepare ourselves for what the future may have in store for us."

Looks like the ninja were still victorious… sort of…

* * *

Iris heard of the Petite Corner through Zane's occupation yet she never thought about visiting the cafe until now through Luna's invitation.

"Luna! I'm here!" The pink kunoichi waved to the quiet girl once she spotted her.

"Iris! You're just in time!" Luna greeted her before the cafe.

"Have you been to this place before?"

"Actually, this is my first time here but I'm sure it's a nice place because of the reviews I've read. Plus Zane's one of the cooks and we all tried his food, right?"

"Yeah. Now let's go. I'm getting hungry."

The cafe was a quaint establishment with plenty of people and the employees were kind. Luna and Iris weren't too surprised and at least it wasn't too late into the afternoon when the cafe was said to be at its busiest. They were immediately seated at a table and handed menus to decide what they'll eat.

"Have you decided what to order?" One of the maids asked the girls.

"I'm gonna have the omurice." Luna answered first.

"And I'll get the Italian ravioli plate." Iris added.

"Excellent choice. Please wait for your order."

"You know, a bunch of us have been at this cafe before and it got me thinking..." Iris spoke once both girls were left alone.

"About what?" Luna urged her friend to continue.

"It's kinda like those anime where the team hangs out in a certain place. I know we have that hideout at the docks but this place isn't so bad."

"Won't that make us kinda suspicious?" The kunoichi of sound pointed out, "If a bunch of teens hang out in this place all the time, people might think we're up to something and I'm pretty sure everyone suspects the Secret Ninja Force is made up of teenagers."

"No one's suspecting anything about the Secret Ninja Force's age."

"Among the ongoing rumors of the new Secret Ninja Force, most civilians assume they are somewhere within their teenage years," A reporter on the TV at the cafe delivered today's gossip, "They came to this conclusion based on their voices, heights, and the qualities they share with color-coded teams like those of the Super Mecha Sentai Show and Pretty Sailor Fuku Witch."

Iris sat there with a completely dumbfounded expression on her face and Luna couldn't resist getting a picture on her phone. Even after their food arrived, the kunoichi of metal didn't budge a single inch. It wasn't until her friend warned her the food was getting cold did she move again.

"This isn't bad," The pink kunoichi commented on the food, "I still don't know whether Zane made this or not. He most likely isn't the only cook here."

"True. Still, I don't know how to exactly say it. Just knowing that Zane works here makes the food taste really good. Maybe I'm being biased." Luna shrugged.

Inside the kitchen, Zane worked nonstop, not even catching a break after cooking the ravioli plate and omurice. It was one of the downsides of this job but as an android, he didn't feel fatigue as quickly as humans. Still, that didn't make him immune to this odd feeling someone at the cafe was talking about him. Other employees here knew him so he was quick to dismiss it...

* * *

It was a tense moment for the students in physics class because they'll be getting their exams back to see whether they pass or fail.

"Phew! An eighty. I passed." Some were relieved.

"Dammit! I got a fifty-four!" While others were devastated.

Lloyd was never one to brag but he was satisfied with his score of ninety-seven. He never liked physics but he wanted to do well in this school if he wants to escape from it as soon as possible.

"That's amazing." Jay peered at Lloyd's score.

"Nah, I only did well because I had an all-nighter." The green ninja yawned.

"I guess I can understand that."

"What score did _you_ get?"

"Uh… I don't want to show you..." The lightning ninja fidgeted as usual.

"Hey! Let me see!" Lloyd snatched the paper from his teammate's hands.

The green-eyed teen gawked at the big one hundred with 'Excellent!' written next to it on Jay's paper. And Jay's the one who acts like he's the dumber of the two.

"Is something wrong?" The freckled teen asked after Lloyd stared at his score for several moments.

"You got a hundred in the last exam! Heck, you've been on the honor roll several times! You must have some sort of deep dark secret!" The green ninja accused him.

"Of course not!" Jay dismissed him, "I guess I was just lucky."

* * *

Jay cursed his luck once training started. Apparently, Master Wu didn't forget about that duel he was supposed to have with Cole when the Shark Army intervened. He had nothing on the earth ninja and his mighty warhammer.

"Come on! Do something already!" Even the polite Heather had enough of Jay's hesitation.

"We could do this all day if you want." Cole told his opponent, being as nonchalant as he always was.

The lightning ninja finally made the first move by throwing the sickle towards Cole but he dodged the curved blade, which didn't surprise him one bit. The earth ninja charged towards his with his hammer and the blue ninja responded by swinging his kusarigama again. The chains deterred the strong ninja somewhat but Jay knew it was way too early to celebrate or get cocky. He threw the sickle again and it wrapped around the handle of Cole's hammer. The lightning ninja tried to pull the heavy weapon away from its wielder but being the skinny boy he was, Jay had a difficult time trying to separate the earth ninja from his weapon. Even with a more versatile weapon, the blue ninja wasn't as physically strong as his teammate thought no one can go without saying the black ninja had to step up his game during this match.

Cole pulled back his hammer and Jay faltered and stumbled. The earth ninja threw the chains off of his hammer and charged at his opponent. The lightning ninja was terrified and ran away from his attack. No matter how many times the black ninja attempted an attack on him, the blue ninja always escaped his wrath. Cole was strong but Jay was faster, _much_ faster. The lightning ninja came up with a different strategy to come out on top. As long as he's one step ahead, maybe Cole will tire himself out and he'll get out of this in one piece. The black ninja just can't keep up with his opponent and his stamina was starting to reach its limit.

With Cole exhausted, Jay threw his kusarigama, the chains wrapping around his opponent and yanked them again. Now it was the earth ninja who fell onto the ground but he saw a chance to take down his rival, even if it's a rather desperate move. Before the chains unraveled, Cole pulled back as hard as he could and Jay, still holding to one end of his kusarigama, stumbled and fell to his knees.

"Enough!" Master Wu ended the battle.

"You did pretty good." Cole complemented the blue ninja while offering his hand.

Jay wasn't sure whether to accept the black ninja's kind gesture. He still didn't trust him. It was always the popular teens who were jerks and knowing from experience, some were really good at hiding it.

The blue ninja got up by himself without saying a word.

'What's his problem?' Cole rolled his eyes at Jay's suddenly sullen attitude towards him.

Once Jay was back with his teammates, he didn't feel proud of his actions. He didn't know why but he felt there were some things he should've done as well as shouldn't. But he still managed to survive in one piece and Nya seemed impressed. It shouldn't matter anyway.

Master Wu, having seen the whole thing, understood what Jay was going through. He knew what the lightning ninja felt but that was something he'll have to learn by himself. He remembered learning all the things he knew now the same way. He can only hope his students were prepared for it.

* * *

Dinners at the Hinata household were never complete with discussions over every subject imaginable from the children's lives as students to whether or not this world is really one small fragment of a vast imagination of a child from a completely different universe.

"Those ninja seem really young and they haven't won every encounter with the Shark Army," Ray said, "But they still have a lot to learn and have potential."

Kai and Nya felt both pride and apprehension hearing their parents talk about the ninja and neither of them will ever know that two of them were their own children and were with them the whole time.

"Kai? Nya? You've been awfully quiet tonight." Maya noticed her children's calm attitudes, which was abnormal compared to how noisy they can get during family meals.

"We're fine," Kai answered first, "We just have a lot of stuff going on in our lives. You know, like school and training -"

Nya stomped on her brother's foot, assuming he was talking about their lives as ninja.

"I was talking about kendo!" The fire ninja hissed at his sister.

"Is something wrong, Nya?" Their mother asked her.

"It's just stress from school. The usual." The kunoichi of water lied, mentally cringing doing so.

"I know how tough it can be but at least you're living in a time of peace. Back when your mother and I were your age, getting to school was already a struggle in of itself. And don't get me started on those drills whenever something bad happened. We -"

"Quit it, Dad. You're starting to sound like an old man." Kai interrupted his father's stories of his past.

"I'm not _that_ old!" His father responded, pretending to be mortified.

"It's true," His wife reminded him, "We're not the youths we were back then."

"That's true..."

Kai and Nya did like hearing of their parents' feats during the Warring Era and one day, they'll have to live up to their legacy and lineage as the Secret Ninja Force.

Who knows if they'll be able to succeed…

* * *

 **And there you go, the last chapter of May.**

 **Even though summer's coming, I've been busy trying to come up with some ordinary life AU stuff & the long-awaited epilogue of That's Not How It Happened. But as always, reviews are appreciated.**


	48. Guest Right

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Once again, it's another day in the life of the Secret Ninja Force as they continue to struggle with school and social life with humor & drama abound. As usual, just sit back, relax, & wait for maybe another couple of months before we get back to the action.**

* * *

Chapter 47: Guest Right

It wasn't often Heather came over to the Hinata household, which was probably why Kai was shocked when he saw her standing before him once he opened the door after hearing the doorbell ring.

"Uh… why are you here?" Kai asked after overcoming his dumbfounded stupor.

"I just felt like hanging out. What's wrong with that?" Heather marched right in, leaving the fire ninja even more confused by her sudden arrival.

"Wait, I thought you'd be working at that flower shop!"

"Today's my day off and it's called Blossoming Memories."

"Nya! Heather's here!" The red ninja pretty much dumped the kunoichi of nature at his sister so their house guest will be _her_ problem alone.

"Yeah. I invited her over." His sister replied flatly once she emerged from her room.

"You invited her without telling me _or_ Mom and Dad!?"

"So what? Mom and Dad always like having guests."

"Letting your friends in is one thing but letting them in without asking Mom and Dad is another!" The fire ninja argued with his sister.

"I'll leave before your parents get back if that makes you feel any better." Heather said.

"First, Nya still didn't tell me beforehand and second, that doesn't make me feel better!"

Kai sat in the corner like a grump while Nya and Heather binge watched a bunch of movies and shows on TV with Webflix. He wanted to go out and explore more of the city but his protective instincts were quick to take over once Heather settled into his home. Even if he doesn't know them for long, he was always adamant to ensure his or even Nya's friends were safe, be it beating up Chen and every other bully or making sure they don't get hurt or go hungry.

"Kai! Get the Kola and Choco Thangs!" Nya ordered her own brother like a servant even while she and Heather munched on an extra large bag of sour cream and onion chips.

The red ninja glared at his sister treating him like a slave before deciding to dish it back.

"If you're such a badass as you want the whole world to think, why don't you get them yourself?" Kai jabbed at his sister's reputation.

Heather almost choked on some chips and stared at the siblings, flabbergasted by Kai's remark.

Nya herself didn't look as pissed as the teal kunoichi thought she would but it was pretty damn close.

"Perhaps I would," The kunoichi of water started coolly, "But I really feel like you should do something other than being an overprotective hothead for once."

Now it was Kai's turn to look like he could snap someone's neck without even trying. Heather was now more interested watching the Hinata siblings' argument. Watching the feisty duo squabble was much more entertaining than any show or movie on Webflix.

"You're the one who brought Heather over so you get the snacks yourself!" The temperamental ninja yelled at his sister.

"And what happened to being a proper host!?" Nya argued back.

"Don't dump this all on me! You invited her in the first place! The reason I'm responsible is cuz you're never responsible!"

All the while, Heather continued watching Kai and Nya argue. This visit turned out to be much better than she expected.

* * *

Lloyd and Iris ate together at the rooftop of Ninjago High as usual. The latter opened her mouth to say something but the green ninja interrupted her.

"If you're gonna say something about how I suck at throwing, you better keep your mouth shut." Lloyd glowered at his teammate.

"Because you said it first, that's exactly what I'm gonna talk about." The pink kunoichi retorted with a defiant expression.

Lloyd mutely pleaded for anyone to put him out of his misery before Iris started talking.

"How the hell do you manage to build a giant mechanical dragon and fight with a sword but you can't even throw a freakin' piece of paper!? Of all the things you'd suck at, it just had to be that, didn't it!?" The violet-eyed girl continued giving her teammate hell for his… flaw.

"Sorry for not being perfect like, perhaps say, every freakin' person in Ninjago!"

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is!?"

"You can't throw!"

"I'll show you!" Lloyd threw his lunch tray towards Iris but it somehow fell _behind_ him.

The pink kunoichi stared at him with a disinterested face and the green ninja didn't even bother trying to say anything.

"I'm guessing Chen's not the only reason you hate PE so much." Iris prodded her teammate yet again.

"Get out! Just get the hell out!" Lloyd exploded and chased after her like a raging psychopath until she ran back into the building.

'Finally, some peace and quiet...' The green ninja just wanted to have a moment of solitude as long as he's stuck in this wretched hive.

The warning bell suddenly rang, dragging him back into the wretched building where gossip about the green ninja's throwing capabilities, or lack thereof, buzzed all over the halls.

Of course with that moment caught on screen, it seems like nothing ever works out for Lloyd...

* * *

Whore. Bitch. Traitor.

Such words were thrown at Koko every day as she continued making money through cheap retail jobs, the only type of employment the former wife of a dark lord could ever hope of obtaining. Just like how her son was the bottom of the social ladder at school, Koko was always the pariah no matter what sort of occupation she had. No one had ever let her forget that she chose to marry Garmadon and have his child. Sadly, it was something that can never be undone, not that Koko minded. Even as she's insulted and discriminated by the very people she once protected, never once did she regret having Lloyd.

However, Koko also can't deny that the harsh words thrown at her did hurt and her heart was touched by the temptation to don her old armor, take up her sword again, and give them what for. Even with all the stress she faced, Koko knew better than to do things out of rage. Luckily, it was almost time for her to go home and rid herself of any more discrimination for the day.

"You didn't seem to do anything wrong today," Her manager said coolly once her shift was over, "Keep this up and maybe you can stay."

"Finally, she's gone. I hope she never comes back." The ex-warrior overheard some coworkers whisper while she was getting ready to leave.

Despite it all, Koko never gave up. She put her past behind her where it belongs and continue living in this city whose people loathed her just as much as her son for his sake.

Just knowing that Lloyd had some good things in his life was all she needed to find some solace, even if the life he lives at the moment is a far cry from what she had hoped for when they settled in the city.

Things never turn out as she planned and she knew that better than anyone else.

Finally having enough food to last her and her son a week, Koko got started cooking tonight's dinner. Settling on some simple curry rice, she obtained her peace of mind while cooking. It didn't seem like a whole lot but it was always the little things that delivered true happiness and that was something she learned much later in life than she would've liked.

'Guess that's just how life is...' She mused to herself while turning on the stove.

Just when the curry roux was almost done, Lloyd finally came home from his daily study sessions.

"Welcome home, Lloyd." The former warrior greeted her child with a kiss on the cheek.

"Mom, you don't have to do that every time I come home." Lloyd told his parent but she can tell that deep down, he truly appreciated it.

Sharing a meal together was one of the few pleasures both Lloyd and Koko shared as they continued to live their difficult lives in Ninjago City.

"Mom, do you ever feel like… like…" Lloyd tried asking his mother something but he hesitated.

"What is it? Lloyd, please tell me." Koko implored her son.

The green ninja remained silent, not knowing if his mother will know the answers

"Do you ever feel like… you shouldn't be here…?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone in Ninjago hates me and sometimes, I get sick of it. I want to leave and live in a place where nobody knows me or Garmadon. Maybe then people will not judge me for who my father is and I'll no longer have to worry about bullies or anyone making assumptions and hating me."

"I know how hard it is. Just show everyone who you really are and they'll turn around."

"I try but it's not good enough. Nothing is."

"Lloyd, trust me. I've been going through the same thing ever since we came here. You did not choose to be the son of Garmadon but I chose to be his wife. That choice alone is why I have faced countless hardships for so many years. I can never undo my past but at least I am thankful for what I've learned through my experiences. One day, you'll go through the same lessons I did."

"But… there's one thing… And you'd be ashamed if I say it..." Lloyd hesitated.

"Why would I ever be ashamed of you? Please tell me so I can help you." Koko urged him to continue.

"As much as I want to escape the city and cut off all ties with Dad completely… I find a part of myself not wanting it… It's almost like I _do_ want him in my life, even if I know how evil he is."

"I wouldn't say Garmadon is _entirely_ evil. He did love you during the brief time we had together."

"If he did love me, why didn't he make any effort to get in touch after all these years?"

"Your father always had trouble showing his true emotions, especially things like happiness and love but I always knew how he truly felt and that was all that mattered. He didn't get in touch not because he didn't care but because he wasn't sure how. At least that's what I believe."

"And what if you're wrong?"

"It's not impossible but only your father knows why he did what he did… and didn't…"

"I don't think I ever will..."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll learn when you least suspect it. The future isn't set in stone and we must live in the present."

Lloyd and Koko ate the rest of their dinner in silence, learning to be grateful for what they have. They may not have everything they wanted but they had what they needed…

For the most part anyway...

* * *

Zane cherished what time he had away from school, work, and training and he cherished all the more whenever his few friends accompanied him. At least Jay and Cole were willing to spend the day with the android.

"Zane, we should go to the electronics store. I wanna see what kind of new things Borg Industries has come up with." Jay suggested, being the tech geek he is.

"Will you not accompany us, Cole?" Zane noticed that the music-loving teen lingered a bit.

"Whatever..." The earth ninja shrugged and followed his friends.

"This one has a neat feature that lets you control your TV when you're not home." Jay gushed over the newest electronics sold in the shop.

Zane didn't feel the same level of amazement as Jay over the items in the store, not even the newest ones. He believed it was because he lived with his father ever since he was activated and the brilliant engineer created much more wondrous things he never revealed to anyone else such as MOM. Yet he refused to take any sense of wonder away from everyone else as they awed over the latest gadgets to be released to the public.

Cole _still_ carried his radio, not caring much for lphones. He didn't have anything against them and just like the rest of the world, he had one. It's just that he preferred to listen to his music with a lot of bass.

Jay jumped when he heard an extremely loud growling noise coming from behind him. It came to no surprise when he turned and saw that it was just Cole, who seems to get hungry more easily than any normal human being.

"What?" The earth ninja asked quizzically, "Is it wrong to get hungry?"

Zane, as usual, made some food beforehand in case his friends got hungry. Today, he made a roll cake but this was no ordinary roll cake. It was one of those trendy deco roll cakes where before baking, the cake would be decorated with cute patterns, pictures, or messages with colored batter. The android's vanilla roll cake was adorned with intricate ice blue snowflakes and rolled up inside was a mild cream cheese filling with blueberries in the very center.

"Wow! You really outdid yourself!" Jay stared with wide-eyed awe at Zane's latest culinary creation.

Meanwhile, all Cole cared about was getting that cake into his stomach.

Cole was just about ready to dig in when Jay stopped him.

"What are you doing!?" The lightning ninja acted like his teammate just ate a bug.

"Eat it. What else?" The black ninja rolled his eyes at his friend's sudden reluctance to eat.

"What!? Without taking a couple of pictures first!?" The freckled boy took out his camera.

"Fine, but make it quick." The earth ninja relented.

And Jay took forever taking pictures and selfies with the super cute cake. While Zane didn't mind, Cole was starting to go mad with hunger. He never understood why so many people felt the need to take as many photos as possible of their food. There were times he even questioned if they ever had a warm meal after they got their phones. Yeah, he can see that if a dish or cake looks amazing, anyone would want to take a picture but in the end, it's just food and you're supposed to eat it before it goes cold or stale. He could've sworn it was at least ten minutes until Jay was _finally_ done and they can eat.

Thankfully, the cake hadn't gone bad by the time the ninja finally got to eat it. As expected from Zane, the cake tasted just as amazing as it looked. The sponge cake was so fluffy and delicate and the filling retained a hint of refreshing sharpness from the cream cheese complemented by the blueberries.

"No human being could ever make anything this good!" Jay almost cried over how good the cake was until he realized what he just said, "No offense..."

"I understand you meant well so I will bear no ill will to your comments." Zane quickly forgave him.

"So what next?" Cole asked after eating nearly half of the cake.

"Perhaps you should choose where to go next. We already went to a place Jay wanted to go." The ice ninja suggested.

"Where do _you_ wanna go?" The blue ninja asked his friend.

Cole had only one destination in mind...

* * *

The trio stood before a small shop in the more secluded corners of Ninjago City. A sign displaying the name 'Super Symphonies' had Jay and Zane guessing this was a music shop.

"This is it?" Jay gawked at the building.

"Yup." Cole answered flatly before marching in with the others behind him.

"Cole! It's been a while!" The clerk greeted the black ninja like an old friend.

In a time where any kind of music can be downloaded, Jay and Zane were surprised that any place like this could still be in business. Then again, most of the CD's and records contained songs and melodies they never heard of. Perhaps their obscurity was what kept this store standing.

"I don't think I even Mom and Dad ever heard of these songs," Jay noted and picked up a CD, "Cosmic Melancholy? Never heard of that song."

"I have no recollections of my father ever listening to any of these melodies." Zane added.

"It's a little sad that there's some great tunes but they're forgotten and there's a slim chance for them to be able to get downloaded."

"But they're so old. I don't think anyone listens to or even heard of them."

"I don't care if it's old or new or even if no one else heard of it. If it's catchy, I'll listen to it."

Jay and Zane stood by while Cole bought several CD's of even more obscure bands and songs. With his music needs catered to, that left only one ninja to decide what to do after this.

"I went to that electronics store and next, Cole dragged us here," Jay rambled once they were outside again, "Now that leaves Zane to pick out where to go next."

"I apologize. I do not have a single destination I intend to go for leisure." Zane refused his offer.

"That's okay," Cole leaned on Zane's shoulder again, which the robot never had any objections to, "As long as we're hanging out, that's fine by me."

"Actually, we have less than one hour before training. I would like to return home to ensure my father will be safe before we go."

Zane suddenly felt a weight disappear from his shoulder and noticed that Cole _and_ Jay already left. He can only assume they were reminded of their duties and also left to get ready. It was understandable but he wasn't wholly content.

He was going to offer them to accompany him.

* * *

As usual, the ninja and kunoichi spent everyday training and today was Luna's turn.

Most of Luna's moves during training were simple. Her attacks were mainly plain swipes and thrusts of her sai. Master Wu, having the patience of a saint, decided not to rush the purple kunoichi. Learning anything from wielding a weapon to playing an instrument has no time limit and everyone will master them at different rates.

Wu continued observing Luna attempt to take on several dummies on her own and while she was far from the current fastest record, which was achieved by Jay, she continued fighting until only one was left. The last dummy closed in on her and raised its sword at her but she threw one of her sai as hard as she could and the thin prongs plunged deep into its torso. Small sparks coursed through its systems and the dummy went limp, confirming the purple kunoichi's victory.

"I did it but it took so long… I'm sorry..." Luna told Master Wu, who was watching the entire spectacle.

"There is nothing wrong with how fast or slow you are learning the way of the ninja. What matters is that you're continuing your progress. Some people are efficient at a fast pace while other people have an easier time taking things slowly. As long as one doesn't give up, they will achieve their goals. Do not falter and you will find your true calling, Luna Hoffman." The elderly sage told her before allowing her to have her break.

"Thank you, Master Wu."

Luna hummed to herself while tending to Varjo, being her main caretaker. Having a German Shepherd at home, the kunoichi of sound was aware that she was very much a dog lover. There was something about each and every one of them that drew her to them. Growing up with German Shepherds, Luna considered dogs to be sweet and loyal creatures, even though she had seen how vicious they can be if left in the wrong hands. Besides their personalities, they were also cute, no matter their shape or size. Even the Chinese Crested was cute in her eyes.

"Mind if I join you?" Lloyd asked seemingly from out of nowhere.

"I thought you'd be working on the mechs." Luna pointed out after her heartbeat was calmed from her initial shock.

"I need to take a break from it. As much as I like it, it can be really exhausting." The green ninja let out a deep sigh before seating himself right next to his his teammate.

"I guess I can see that."

Lloyd observed Luna petting Varjo and listening to her humming. He still didn't know a whole lot about her and usually, he wasn't interested in doing so but they were teammates now.

"Let me guess, you still want to become an idol?" The green ninja asked her.

"Yeah," The kunoichi of sound answered, "Why? Is that bad?"

"I don't have anything against it. The thing is I sometimes wonder how..."

"I'm sorry but can you be a little more specific?"

"Sometimes, I wonder how is it that some people can still have their hopes and dreams when there's a lot of terrible things going on in the world."

Luna observed Lloyd's sullen expression, particularly his green eyes. They appeared vivid in hue but at the same time, dull with dark anger, resentment, and even jealousy

"Are you talking Lord Garmadon's conquest or are you talking about being bullied?" She finally asked.

"You could say it's a little bit of both..." The young outcast sighed.

"I guess I can see that..."

"You probably wouldn't understand. At least you never

"There are some people who think I do nothing but hope and dream but I can't say their treatment is at the same level you face everyday."

"Like I said before, it astonishes me how some people can go about their lives like nothing's wrong

"Maybe they do know."

"But they still move on and act like something good will happen when they usually don't. Dreams are the first thing to go when you see what the world's really like and hope only leads to disappointment. It's better to just lay low. At least no one will notice you. I'd be lucky if anyone besides Mom and Uncle Wu would care if I suddenly disappear."

Luna was stunned by Lloyd's cynicism. It's understandable for anyone who's shunned all their lives to be bitter and angry but hearing extremely dark things already coming from someone as young as him was more than a little alarming to her.

"Uh, there's other people who don't hate you..."

"Stop telling me what I already know!"

"I was just trying to make you feel better." Luna quivered from the green ninja's outburst.

"And you suck at it." Lloyd scowled.

"I'm… sorry..."

"Stop pretending you care. It's gross."

Lloyd stormed off, leaving Luna alone and too stunned to do anything. She may have survived Lloyd's wrath but something told her she and the other ninja might not be so lucky in the too-near future…

* * *

 **Oh Lloyd, have you ever heard the phrase, 'Check yourself before you wreck yourself'?**

 **Things are only gonna get more difficult from here because I need to satiate my schadenfreude but for now, please review.**


	49. A Big Break

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! Here, Lloyd might reach a milestone in engineering while the ninja continue living life in Ninjago City. As always, enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 48: A Big Break

It was another day in Ninjago City and that meant another scuffle with Lord Garmadon's forces.

"Hey! You're not getting away!" The hot-blooded red ninja tackled some of the Shark Army underlings who tried to escape his wrath.

With a small number of underlings enacting their overlord's will, not all of the Secret Ninja Force came to fend them off. All the green ninja had alongside him were the red, black, and silver ninja for today's battle. With the red and silver ninja being more straightforward with their attacks with the green and black ninja focusing on defensive tactics, they were able to hold their own against the Shark Army.

"Are you gonna do something or what!?" The red ninja hollered towards his teammates while trying to keep the enemies restrained.

The black ninja joined in and body slammed the minions and with his muscular build, that was enough to subdue them.

"S-stop! We surrender! W-we won't bother you anymore! Just get him off!" The minions begged and wheezed as they struggled to even breathe under the buff ninja's weight.

The green ninja coolly approached them and sensing they weren't willing to fight, the black ninja got off, allowing them to refill their lungs with some much needed oxygen.

"Let Garmadon know this, as long as we're here, he will _never_ take Ninjago." The green ninja glared at his enemies through his mask. The Shark Army apparently got the message as they rushed back to the volcano lair without any effort to fight back.

Looks like it's yet another victory for the Secret Ninja Force...

* * *

Lloyd may have reached a milestone in engineering but too bad it will forever remain a secret.

The green ninja was going to try and activate his Mech Dragon for the very first time.

"Are you sure it's ready?" Jay wrung his hands nervously while watching Lloyd turn on the systems.

"I'm just doing a test run. If something goes wrong, I'll just shut it down until the problem's fixed." The green ninja brushed off his concerns. He tinkered a bit more with the controls until he was confident that there won't be any major problems once the dragon is activated. He double-checked its controls before finally pressing the on and off switch.

"Okay, get ready guys!" Lloyd jumped off the seat and joined the ninja and his uncle to watch his very creation come to life.

Everyone stood still and didn't make a single sound while waiting for the dragon do something and no one was as anxious as Lloyd. He spent countless days and nights utterly devoted to bringing something only he could imagine into the real world and even have it become a living creature.

The dragon's eyes slowly lit up and the sounds of working gears can be heard from within its body as it slowly got up on its feet. The ninja were awestruck by the dragon's simple movements. It may not be much but considering that Lloyd made it, it was truly a feat like no other. The ninja still didn't budge or make a sound, not knowing what the dragon could do and no one was as anxious as Lloyd himself. He couldn't believe that this miraculous feat of engineering was completed by his own hand, even though he got some help building it. He always fantasized of having a dragon of his own and fly around with it and even escape the city but he never thought that silly daydream would see the light of day. He also didn't know if the dragon recognized him or even think at all. If it did, only it can know what thoughts ran through its articial mind and what course of action it will take. It could remain docile or it could go haywire. If the latter happens, their secret will be given away. The ninja really hoped Lloyd knew what he was getting himself into when he decided now was the right time to first activate it.

Lloyd cautiously extended his hand toward the tip of its muzzle but the dragon was unresponsive. His hand made contact with the green metal exoskeleton yet the mechanical beast still had no reactions to his touch.

"I don't want to sound rude but I was kinda expecting it to do something other than standing there." Nya was the first to speak.

"It only has some of the basics. I'm still working on its full AI before I can install it." Lloyd answered.

Seeing the Mech Dragon activated for the first time got the other ninja thinking about the possibilities with their own mechanical contraptions. The very concept of having huge machines fascinated them all over again and they had so many emotions and feelings over the idea of controlling massive mechs like this was some sort of anime. They all felt excitement, fascination, and even anxiety. All they can do is wonder what their mechs will be capable of in the future and they may or may not want to find out.

* * *

Lord Garmadon was disappointed with his servants' ineptitude. They were supposed to be the feared Shark Army who wreaked havoc wherever they went, not a bunch of wimps who allowed a bunch of pretentious teens (or who he believed to be teens) in pajamas get the better of them. He journeyed to the research facilities of his volcano lair where he saw the scientists who served him working on some of his plans. Production was slower than he would've liked because of the Shark Army's failures but as long as he's making progress, he'll let it slide for the time being.

He still had Koko and Lloyd's numbers but he knew calling them now probably isn't the greatest idea, especially after what his own son said to him when he tried to call him for the very first time. The dark lord had plenty of time to call them later. Right now, he oversaw his team of scientists and engineers work on his latest project that will all but ensure his claim to Ninjago City.

"Lord Garmadon, the designs are being done exactly as you intended." One of the scientists told him.

"And let me guess, there's always a catch." The dark lord said dryly.

"The thing is, with the Secret Ninja Force interfering with the Shark Army's missions to get the items as needed, construction will not go as quickly as we hoped."

Garmadon slowly turned his head towards his underling, his death glare unchanging.

"I'm gonna die, am I?" The servant asked rather calmly.

"Honey, are you sure this is a good place for a vacation?" A woman asked her husband while he drove through Ninjago City.

"Sure! It has plenty of things to do, from trying all kinds of street foods to going to one of N-Pop Girl's concerts. This place has it all and on top of that, it's perfectly safe!"

Suddenly, the ground shook from what felt like a massive earthquake. The couple peeked out of their car that stopped right by the beach and were shocked to see what looked like a volcano not far from the shore erupting and spewing smoke that reached as far as the forests beyond the city.

"You didn't tell me there would be an active volcano right next to the city!" The wife exclaimed.

The husband took out the brochure of the city and looked through it again and found a part of the ad he somehow missed.

'Beware of Lord Garmadon and his Shark Army!' was written in big bold letters on the back along with another warning to stay away from the dark lord's son, Lloyd Garmadon.

"Welp! There's always a Plan B!" He said in a surprisingly cheerful tone before veering the car towards the other direction and sped off.

* * *

Even during the ninja's training, Master Wu had his students devote some time planning a strategy for the next time the Shark Army will attack. Some understood and took it seriously while others…

"What's the point in frying our brains with this crap if we don't even know what kind of schemes the Shark Army and even Garmadon are coming up with!?" Kai complained over the time Master Wu had him and the others devoted in doing nothing but think when they could be training.

"True, but we have to make sure we'll be ready whenever they come." Heather pointed out.

"Isn't that all that matters!?" The fire ninja continued to chafe under the teal kunoichi's advice, "All we gotta do is kick their asses and chase them out of Ninjago!"

"And we need to figure out the best strategy to ensure we will!"

The other ninja, especially Nya, grew concerned watching Kai and Heather argue. Two short-tempered people having a debate was nothing short of a recipe for disaster.

"What makes one strategy the best!? As long as we get the job done, that's all there is to it!" The fire ninja scoffed at his teammate's reasoning.

"Quit acting like it's all about you! We're a team and we won't be able to defeat Garmadon!"

"Then maybe you should stop holding us back!"

"Me!? Holding us back!? I dare you to say that again once I'm through with you!"

Nya had to hold back her brother while Zane did the same with Heather. The others watched the fight with varying reactions to Cole's perpetual indifference to Luna's panic.

"Stop!" Master Wu raised his voice and his students all fell into line again.

"I am not pleased by what I have seen," Master Wu shook his head in disappointment, "All of you still have a lot to learn about working as a team."

"What do mean 'we'? It was just Kai and Heather!" Iris exclaimed, earning herself a smack on the head from her teacher's bamboo staff.

"You still failed to keep their argument from escalating to this level. Disagreements are not necessarily bad but allowing them to cause a rift amongst the team is nothing short of a disaster and a testimony to your lack of teamwork."

"So what are you expecting from us!? Nothing but pure rainbows and sunshine!?" Kai talked back.

"No. I was expecting fire and brimstone." Wu deadpanned.

"Kai, you need to listen to others for once." Nya sighed in exasperation.

"Heather, your occasional outbursts of anger may be a cause for concern." Zane also pointed out.

"Whatever..." The teal kunoichi scowled and brushed him off.

The android felt a particular sense of unease for the kunoichi of nature. This profound connection he felt with her may be to blame. Nonetheless, he didn't want to see Heather stray from the path of the ninja because of her less savory emotions more than anyone else he knew. This could be another one of what Master Wu referred to as the many mysteries of life.

* * *

Zane was done with another hard day's work at The Petite Corner. He didn't have a whole lot of time left before training but he quickly grew accustomed to it. Without the limitations of an organic body, he didn't need as much time to recharge his stamina so he didn't mind either.

Just as he neared the door, someone opened it from the other side.

"Guess I'm too late." Cole felt his hopes crashing down when he saw Zane standing before him.

"I assume you came here because you are suffering from hunger." The robot guessed out loud.

"Enough with the fancy words but yeah. I'm starving." The black ninja replied.

"If food is what you seek, you can follow me to my home. There is plenty of food for you to eat there." The ice ninja suggested.

"You sure about that? Your dad probably won't like me barging in and eat everything."

"Do not worry about that. Father likes it when visitors come to our home. Come with me." Zane led his teammate back to his abode.

There were times Cole didn't accept offers by his friends to come over to their homes. He didn't want to become a burden but there was something about Zane's offer that made him consider this one an exception. He was pretty sure it was because the robot's also a wonderful cook.

"I have returned." Zane announced his arrival once he opened the door to his apartment.

"Welcome back, Zane." Dr. Julien embraced his son upon his return.

Cole found that seeing Zane and his father bask in their loving relationship was almost painful for him to watch. He never had that sort of relationship with his own father and he never let jealousy get the better of him but he found it hard not to feel envious of the android. It almost felt unfair for even the only known robot in Ninjago to have a better parent than him.

'Snap out of it!' The earth ninja mentally scolded himself, 'You're not the only person in Ninjago who doesn't get along with their dad! Stop being so childish!'

"It's so good to see you again, Cole." The retired engineer also greeted the black ninja once he finally noticed him.

Cole greeted the elderly man with a small nod. Remembering his teammate was hungry, Zane already worked in the kitchen, preparing a meal for his house guest.

"Perhaps this will sate your appetite for the time being." Zane whipped up a smoked salmon sandwich within mere moments and even set up a slice of blueberry pie for dessert. Of course Cole didn't need to be told even once to dig in. He always ate every meal or snack like he never had ate before and the white ninja didn't mind, seeing it as Cole's way of showing how much he appreciated food, which was already a very important part of life.

While letting his systems recharge for a bit, Zane spent his time observing his teammate. Even he was aware of how different he and Cole were and it went beyond their drastically different appearances.

Cole was strong with a muscular build and his ebony hair and dark skin made him stand out amongst many of his peers while Zane had a more lithe form with pure white hair and artificial flesh much too pale for him to pass off as organic skin.

Even with those differences, they pale in comparison to those of their inner selves.

While they both often felt compelled to help others, they had different reasons. Cole viewed all life as precious while Zane, he wasn't sure if he's only doing it according his programming or if it's something he truly wanted to do even if he were human. All he did know was that he was fascinated by humans' smiles whenever he assisted them in any way and he wanted to be the one to make them smile.

Another difference was the way they approached any problems that befell the Secret Ninja Force and how they came up with different methods to deal with them. Cole was headstrong, though not nearly as bad as others such as Kai and Iris, but it wasn't easy getting him to change his mind. Besides being single-minded when it comes to forming a strategy, the earth ninja primarily focused on results as well as reaching the ninja's goals in the most straightforward way possible. As for Zane, he pondered over every possible action and outcome to formulate an efficient strategy, even if it will be time-consuming or require many details.

Asides from these differences, the black and white ninja seemed to get along really well.

Cole never seemed to mind being with others as long as he had his music and Zane was grateful for his few friends. Even Dr. Julien can see the bond his son had with this nice fellow. None of then can see it but he can tell they could become much closer in the future...

* * *

Nya and Jay sat together during lunch and while the former didn't really find it that much of a big deal, the latter was mentally screaming as he does with pretty much everything.

"Have you seen the latest Unikitty episodes? It was really cute!" The kunoichi of water talked with the other ninja sitting with her while Jay, who had a lot of things he wanted to say, kept his mouth shut.

"Jay…?" The silver kunoichi noticed her friend's constant fidgeting as he sat next to her.

"NOTHING!" The blue ninja suddenly shouted randomly.

"What's up with him?" Aria raised an eyebrow at his odd demeanor.

'Says the girl who once thought pineapples and apples were related.' Nya mentally retorted.

The blue ninja still seemed overwhelmed simply by having someone address him.

Nya didn't understand why Jay seemed to have a harder time talking to her than with anyone else. He was always a timid boy but he was never this bad towards the other ninja and their friends, not even with Kai.

'Now that I think about it, he wasn't always like this.'

The lightning ninja had no problems talking to Nya asides from his usual shyness when they first met and it was only a couple of years ago that he started to get even more flustered when she was around. It's true she's pretty great but she was always like that even before Jay's habits started to come up.

But Nya never minded Jay's quirks. In fact, she felt a sense of fondness for the shy boy.

Jay was a cute little nerd and he was much smarter than everyone gives him credit for. He did come up with all the designs and details on his lightning mech by himself and was already making progress with its foundations with little assistance. Not every guy had to be full of that superficial macho bullshit to be cool or strong. Jay also showed a lot of promise with his kusarigama even if he can be a total klutz every now and then. She always preferred to hang out with unique people instead of those wannabes who think everyone has to fit in one mold to be accepted.

Jay finally opened his mouth and looked like he was finally going to talk to Nya when whatever words he spoke were drowned out by the warning bell.

Better luck next time.

* * *

Luna prepared for her audition for the music club's upcoming project, a play based on the story, 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier'. She read the original story and while it was far from her favorite as a child, she began to appreciate it after reading it again for the play. The way the soldier always stood firm and tall through everything while pining for the ballerina touched her heart. The purple kunoichi spent much of her time reading the lyrics and scales until it was finally her turn.

"Luna, you're up!" Brad beckoned her to sing.

The kunoichi of sound cleared her throat and began to sing the ballerina's song.

 _Atop the shining lake of glass_

 _The clock strikes at midnight_

 _The world around me moves_

 _And I too begin my flight_

Almost everyone stopped so they can listen to the normally quiet girl sing.

Singing was one of the few things Luna enjoyed in life. As quiet as she is in public, she found it easier to express herself through music, be it singing or dancing. As much as she enjoyed it, she never knew why it was easier for her to be who she is while doing it. What made it even more confusing was that she still had no idea who she really was besides her love of music. But all Luna could think about was singing the best she could.

Once she was done, plenty of classmates applauded her performance but their praise failed to get her attention. The purple kunoichi felt her heart skip a beat when she saw that Cole was observing her the whole time and his gaze was all she could concentrate on.

"Not bad," Brad praised the timid girl's performance, "I can see you getting the main role but I'll need some time to evaluate everyone's auditions so I can decide which one of you is the best choice."

"How are you gonna do that if you listened to all of us sing already? Isn't that good enough?" Some of the other candidates asked.

"I recorded your voices on my phone. I'll be able to go over your auditions as many times as I need to decide who will make the cut."

"Great. Now you're starting to sound like a creep."

Luna dismissed her classmate's unorthodox ways and joined up with the black ninja.

"You did good." Cole complimented his teammate.

"T-thanks..." She stammered, even more flustered upon receiving praise from someone she looked up to, especially someone who also happens to be so strong and handsome -

'Wait, what?' The purple kunoichi was shocked by her own thoughts.

It's true that Cole was one of the strongest guys in school and he was definitely very good-looking. She always considered him as such.

'So why am I letting that bother me _now_?'

Luna was as insecure over the concept of training with Cole everyday as she had been when she first signed up to be a ninja. It was bad enough having to see someone she regarded as a role model all the time but there's also Lloyd, the Hinata siblings, and the rest of the Secret Ninja Force. She still wasn't exactly kunoichi material and she might fall behind or worse, hold them back.

'Stop worrying about all this ninja stuff now! You're gonna get a big part in this play and this could be the big break you've been hoping for!' She argued with herself.

"Luna?" Cole waved his hand over her face to grab her attention.

"Yes?" And it looks like he succeeded.

"Guess you're gonna be even busier than ever." The black ninja spoke.

"Y-yeah..."

The kunoichi of sound felt disappointed that that was all Cole could say to her. But she was still filled with excitement over what may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for her to fulfill her lifelong dream.

* * *

 **And there you have it.**

 **Will Jay ever be able to talk to Nya like a normal teen? Will Luna achieve her dreams?**

 **Find out in maybe a hundred chapters or so in Discovering Destiny!**


	50. Change of Plans

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! In this chapter, we'll be introduced to another training method for the ninja & as usual, there will be more interactions in training, school, and social life. As usual, sit back & enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 49: Change of Plans

The Secret Ninja Force gathered at the hideout as usual but Master Wu decided now is the time to try something different.

"Students, there won't be any training done here today." He stopped his apprentices before they can begin their training.

"Is this another one of those outdoor training sessions?" Lloyd was the first to question his uncle.

"Yes but it will not be the same as before." The bearded old man answered.

"Master Wu, I've been meaning to ask this for a while." Aria spoke up before he can say any more.

"Go on." He encouraged the olive-skinned girl to continue.

"Is there any other reason you make us train outside besides our elements?" The capricious kunoichi finally had the guts to ask one of the many questions she had bottled up.

Master Wu paused for several seconds before going on another one of his cryptic speeches.

"Lord Garmadon is not the only threat to Ninjago." He began.

"How would you know that?"

"I have seen many things throughout the many years I have lived, some I would never wish to return." Wu shuddered, remembering the first time _it_ came to Ninjago. Hopefully, it will never come back…

"And what does that have to do with training outside?" Heather asked.

"You can't rely on me for everything and I can't always be around when need be. You will also have to learn how to work together without my guidance, starting today."

The old teacher briefly inspected his pupils before making his choice on who will take part in the first training session without him.

"Kai and Cole, you will go first." Master Wu picked the fire ninja and earth ninja.

"Why us?" Cole asked, not that he minded.

"You two are only beginning to find your place in the team, and will require you forging relationships with each and every one of your teammates. Both of you still have so much to learn about each other, which makes you the perfect candidates for the first training session alone."

"But where should we go and what do you want us to do?"

"Go to the bamboo forest. There, I want you to do something simple."

"And that is…?" Kai expected the old man to finish for him.

"Know one another," Master Wu answered flatly, "Even the simplest of things are the most important factors that will ensure victory or defeat. By learning more about each other, you will learn to work as a team and each of you will even learn more about not only your brethren but also yourselves."

The old teacher was slightly annoyed at the two ninja still standing before him after he finished.

"I already told you to go and train outside. I will not repeat myself." Wu sternly told them.

"Fine..." The pair quickly got the message and set out for their first training session without him.

* * *

The ninja of fire and earth trekked through the wilderness in silence. Scratch that. With those two, it's anything but silent. Cole managed to leave the hideout with his radio blasting hard rock and Kai tried talking to him despite the loud volume drowning out his voice.

"Cole! You mind turning that thing down a bit!?" The red ninja tried speaking over the loud beats for what he believed to be the billionth time.

"Yes. Yes I do." His comrade answered dryly.

Kai was itching to do something besides wandering around and so far, Cole didn't seem as interested in fighting and would rather laze around with his radio. The hot-blooded ninja was always itching for a challenge but with no real structure, he didn't know what to do and he wasn't all too happy about it.

"I guess we're just gonna walk around… So much for training..." Kai groaned.

"We all know that Master Wu likes to hide things from us. We have no choice but to keep training." His more easygoing teammate shrugged.

With the old man absent, Kai's mind began to stir with temptation.

"But Master Wu isn't here now, is he?" He started.

"What are you getting at…?"

"He didn't give us any rules for us to follow. We can do whatever we want without him around to hit us on the head with that staff."

"Kai, this isn't something to be taken lightly. We have no idea what Garmadon plans to do next." Cole began to grow exasperated by his teammate's impatience.

"Exactly!" The red ninja replied, "It's pointless thinking there will only be one outcome!"

"Is this about your fight with Heather earlier?"

"No!"

"Then what is it?" Now Cole's voice started to carry a hint of annoyance.

"I just don't believe in our future already being set up for us. If our fate was decided for us, then why would Master Wu bother telling us about discovering ourselves and deciding how we'll end up?" The fire ninja pointed out.

"And what do you want to do? Fight fate?"

"Hell yeah!"

"So even if things don't work out and it looks like there's no way out, you'll still look for another way?"

"Of freakin' course!"

"I expected as much from you." Cole chuckled just a tiny bit but Kai didn't find any mirth in his voice.

"Oh god, you're one of those people who act all cool but are incredibly angsty inside." Kai wasn't too thrilled upon seeing what may be the laid-back ninja's true colors.

"Says the guy who hangs out with Lloyd all time."

"Yeah, but two angsty teens is a bit much, don't you think?"

"I admit I do have some issues but then again, who doesn't?"

"I don't have any issues!"

"You sure about that? The other day, you threatened Camille just for looking at Lloyd funny."

"She was gonna do something even worse! That's what every popular bitch does! Dammit! Is listening to that radio all you ever do!?"

"No. I also train in the way of the ninja just like you." Cole answered flatly.

Kai found himself becoming even more riled up by his teammate's lax replies. It's almost like trying to get a sloth to actually run.

"You know what's interesting?" Cole suddenly spoke.

"Just spit it out." Kai said bluntly.

"Master Wu did say he only wanted us to know more about each other. I guess we've been doing that the whole time." The earth ninja reminisced over their teacher's instructions.

"I guess you're right," His teammate nodded, "But all you have is your obsession with loud music and maybe some issues that's giving you typical teen angst."

"At least that's two things. You're nothing but a hothead." The earth ninja teased back.

"Keep talking and I'm gonna make sure those will be the last words you'll ever say..." Kai said darkly.

Cole rolled his eyes, knowing the red ninja isn't capable of following through with his threats… yet...

* * *

Kai and Aria found themselves hanging out with one another again but this time, they didn't complain about it and it's probably because they got along by complaining about everything.

"I know, right?" Aria ranted, "It's so annoying when your favorite song starts to play just when you get to the driveway!"

"You think that's annoying? Then you probably have no idea what it's like when you order something at a restaurant and someone comes after you ends up getting their order first." Kai added.

"Oh my god! That happened to me the other day! My parents and I were at a Thai restaurant and this couple who arrived ten minutes after us got their food before us!"

Nya, who had to endure their rants, found herself running out of patience. As if dealing with only Kai was bad enough, she was sure she'll get an aneurysm if she has to listen to both Kai _and_ Aria complain for one more minute. She gathered whatever sanity she had left and got up, grabbing their attention.

"Uh, Nya? You haven't gone insane, have you?" Kai asked his sister.

The kunoichi of water said nothing and maintained an eerily calm expression as she grabbed both Kai and Aria's heads and bashed their heads together eliciting pained yelps from both of them which was music to her ears compared to their rants.

"What was that for!?" Aria whined while rubbing the bump forming on the side of her head.

"Nya! You suck!" Kai yelled at his sister.

Nya carried on like nothing happened, much to her brother and friend's annoyance. The confident girl didn't even seem fazed by the stares of almost everyone at the Q-Tea House.

"Thank god I'm an only child!" The orange kunoichi remarked.

"Don't be like that," The fire ninja rebuffed her, "Nya can be pretty annoying sometimes but she's still the greatest sister anyone can have."

"Really? I wonder if she can say the same for you."

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing..." Aria dismissed her hot-blooded 'complain buddy' a little too innocently.

'Oh god, here we go...' Nya shook her head but she was willing to deal with the pair's antics.

As aggravating as they can be, their interactions often kept her entertained.

* * *

A storm brewed yet again over Ninjago City and while Jay had no weather-based fears, he did _not_ like getting his clothes wet. Being out on the streets, the blue ninja cursed his luck and wrapped his orange scarf all over his head. For once, he didn't care if he looked like a fool. He made a dash for the nearest shelter and didn't care to take even once second to see what kind of place it was.

"Welcome to Blossoming Memories." A familiar voice greeted him.

"Heather…!" The lightning ninja was surprised to see his teammate at the cash register.

"This is the first time I've seen you here." Heather remarked.

"But-but why are you here?" Jay stuttered while his heart settled back to a normal pulse.

"I work here. What else?" The teal kunoichi deadpanned.

Jay observed the shop, looking at the vast variety of flowers it sells. There were common ones such as roses, tulips, and daisies as well as many more he never saw before or don't know the name of. Having been raised around science and technology, he didn't know a whole lot about Mother Nature, which was ironic given that he grew up in Parsa, a city that was just as famous for its gardens as it was for its advanced technology.

"What brings you here?" Heather asked her comrade.

"I just need a place to stay before the rain stops." He decided to be honest for once.

The lightning ninja continued to observe the flowers. His favorite color being blue, he was instinctively drawn to those of that color but there wasn't a lot of them as of now, what little good it did. He can't even name all the flowers he saw while growing up in the Garden City of Parsa.

All of a sudden, a certain face popped up in his thoughts.

Jay found at least a part of himself compelled to get a flower for Nya but it won't do him any good. For starters, Nya doesn't seem the type to be impressed by something as plain as a flower and giving girls flowers is one of the many age-old traditions that have been rendered obsolete by humans' constant progress with technology. A flower will wither and die in only a couple of days while a new phone can last for a few years give or take.

"Are you interested in buying anything here?" Heather asked, interrupting Jay's inner thoughts.

"Uh… not really..." He answered sheepishly.

The teal kunoichi also found it ironic that someone from Parsa doesn't care a whole lot about Mother Nature. Then again, more and more people have been taking the natural world for granted lately. Not a lot of people come here and whenever they do, it's always for an event such as an anniversary or a birthday party. They never come to the shop and buy flowers just because they want to.

Well, at least one person in the city did…

Jay felt more and more uncomfortable by the silence save for the raindrops hitting the display window and the occasional crash of thunder. He can tell he and Heather couldn't be more different. He was a tech geek and she was a nature lover. There's no way they could ever truly get along and if Master Wu makes them go off together without him, it would only make things more awkward between them.

"Looks like the storm's clearing up." Heather observed the downpour of rain easing up and the clouds looking a little less grey.

"I guess I'll be seeing you later." Jay got up to leave.

The kunoichi of nature was unsure if she should respond at all and it wasn't just because of their vow of secrecy as ninja.

At least she survived what could be the first of many awkward moments to come...

* * *

Zane knew he was at a disadvantage the moment Master Wu chose Iris to be his opponent for today's training session. With her shield, she could block all of his arrows. He'll have to formulate a completely different strategy if he wants to come out as the victor.

The ice ninja took out an arrow but did not plan on aiming it just yet. He must figure out what course of action to take first that will give him a higher chance of an advantage.

The android never forgot his backup shuriken. He usually used them only as a last resort when he ran out of arrows. Perhaps doing things a little differently is what he needs to prevail over his opponent…

'Is he even gonna do anything?' Iris felt her patience wearing thin while doing nothing but stare at her opponent. She still stood her ground and didn't let go of her sword and shield. Zane was not an idiot despite his unnatural smiles claiming otherwise. When the humanoid gets serious, he gets _serious_.

The ice ninja's fingers fled from the arrows strapped to his back and dove into the silver pouch on his belt that carried his shuriken. He threw one of the tiny blades at her but aimed for her legs where she might have a more difficult time using her shield. Iris barely jumped away but that was what the robot intended. The moment he threw the shuriken, he grabbed an arrow and fired it. The kunoichi of metal was caught off guard, stumbled, and fell on her bottom.

Iris was about to get up on her own when a pale hand appeared before her. She was surprised to see Zane offering to help her up despite being her opponent today.

"Why are you doing this? To mock me?" The kunoichi of metal didn't trust the ice ninja's mercy.

"It is within my nature to help anyone in need," Zane answered in his usual matter-of-fact tone, "Even with our training in the art of war, we are not enemies."

"I can get up by myself, thank you very much." Iris brushed him off and got up by herself.

"Now cut out his face!" Aria tried egging the pink kunoichi to attack, earning her a literal headache via Wu's staff. Much to everyone's surprise, Wu didn't seem disappointed on the match being cut short.

"Master Wu? Aren't Zane and Iris supposed to be fighting each other?" Heather asked him.

"Training isn't all about battles and victories. It's also not the only thing I want you to do during these sessions. It is important to also be able to get along. Your bonds are what decides if you are fit for the role of Ninjago's protectors. I will let this one slide for now."

Zane and Iris went back to their teammates, wondering if their teacher had other reasons to stop their match and it's more than likely he does. Looks like they'll have to battle each other some other time...

* * *

Today was an important day for the music club at Ninjago High. It seems Brad may have finally chosen who will play the ballerina in the upcoming musical. Luna never felt this restless since the day she first signed up to join the Secret Ninja Force and no, there's no cutaway gags here. We already know how that went.

"Luna Hoffman." Brad summoned her.

"Y-yes…!?" The auburn-haired girl felt chills run up and down her spine and her organs doing flip-flops the moment her fellow music club member said her name…

And then he did the same for every person who auditioned for the ballerina, much to her annoyance.

"I have listened to every single audition many times a day but I want all of you to do it again. I want to make sure I pick the best person for the role."

"But won't that defeat the point of our first audition?"

"Of course not. It's stupid to pick someone by just one audition. Now sing!" Brad commanded.

All the candidates, including Luna, ended up singing the ballerina's song again. Meanwhile, Cole sat in the corner and watched the whole thing. Brad may seem silly at times but hey, he has a lot of passion for what he likes and the earth ninja respected that.

"Luna Hoffman." Brad called the quiet girl over by name yet again.

'Is he gonna make all of us audition again?' Luna asked to herself with exasperation.

"Luna, you'll be playing the ballerina in The Steadfast Tin Soldier." Brad said almost out of nowhere.

The entire theater fell silent the moment Luna was chosen to play one of the main parts. Everyone in the room was shocked but not as much as the new star herself. In fact, they had no clue how she even felt about all this. The already quiet girl was deathly silent and her face showed no expression like she was staring at something that no one else can see.

"Luna?" Cole tapped her shoulder, which wasn't the best idea given his strength…

The purple kunoichi keeled over like a stiff board without making any sound except for the loud thud upon landing face down on the ground and even with that, she still didn't wake up.

Luna had no idea what just happened. One moment, she was chosen to play the ballerina and then it seemed like her mind blacked out. The next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor, surrounded by her fellow music club members who all stared at her with concern.

"She's waking up! Give her some space!"

"Thank goodness!" Brad sighed with relief, "I almost thought we were gonna have to replace you!"

"Replace? What's going on?" The shy girl asked, still needing time to refresh her memories.

"You were chosen to play the ballerina," Cole reminded Luna of her newest role, "Does that help?"

"Nope." The timid girl answered flatly before her consciousness left her again.

* * *

Iris tried coming up with a design for her mech but it was not as simple as she thought. The only time she's good at designing stuff is when it's bursting with cuteness and she didn't want to deal with Lloyd shooting down her ideas for the umpteenth time. Maybe she can find inspiration from Uncle Karloff. After all, he worked for one of Ninjago City's many engineering companies and he always knew how to fix any machine when something goes wrong.

But Uncle Karloff left for a meeting at his workplace about an hour ago. He's too busy as it is so she'll have to either wait for him to get back or look elsewhere for inspiration and advice.

'I can't keep relying on Uncle for everything,' The kunoichi of metal reminded herself, 'I need to start doing things myself. Isn't that the point of me joining the ninja?'

The violet-eyed girl took another look at her designs and tried putting the pieces together. She had no plans on a flying vessel and with her element being metal, travel on water doesn't seem to mesh well. A car or tank would be a little too plain for her liking.

'Come on Iris, think...' She brainstormed for ideas and scanned the apartment for anything that could give her a clue to what she should aim for.

Iris caught her L Switch controller in the corner of her eye. She recently finished the game 'Legends of the Wild' and she was tempted to play through it again. The game was really fun with the way she can explore the vast world while cooking up some neat recipes, solve underground puzzles, and let herself get distracted by lengthy sidequests while trying to tame the Grand Titans.

'Wait a sec!' A light bulb went off in Iris' head, 'Giant animals… Ninja mechs… It all adds up!'

The pink kunoichi went back to her designs and got started on creating something new. Lloyd already has his dragon but her mech won't be the exact same. She still planned for her mech to be land-based but what animal it could be, she had yet to decide. There was just so many to choose from but she still had so many ideas now and what form it will take can be decided later.

For once, she might be able to come up with a design without Lloyd bashing her.

* * *

 **And there you have it. It's not much but if it weren't for Lloyd hogging all the characterization in the movie, I wouldn't have to invest so much time with the other characters. Anyway, I'll see you later & review.**


	51. A New Hope

**Discovering Destiny**

 **I can't believe it guys. This story have reached the 50th chapter. I know not a lot happened but this story isn't all about action but it's still important. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 50: A New Hope

Master Wu had some of his students take another trip into the wilderness on their own and this time, he chose Luna and Heather. The two kunoichi seemed to be on good terms but only because they still don't know enough about one another to have any animosity between them...

"It's kinda strange he's making us do this. We already started hanging out more ever since we joined this whole ninja stuff." Heather remarked.

"But I still don't know a lot about you or anyone else besides Cole and Iris for that matter." Luna said with a flustered blush on her face.

"I heard from Iris that you're part of the music club and it kinda makes sense since I work at the flower shop after school."

"Oh yeah. Zane mentions it sometimes."

"I still don't get why Master Wu wants us to learn more about each other this way. Isn't the breaks we get good enough?"

"We should know by now how Master Wu is. He might have some other plan up his sleeve."

"So he's using us..."

The kunoichi of nature felt uneasy hearing Luna mention the possibility that their mentor might have some ulterior motives for creating the Secret Ninja Force and even more so for believing the kunoichi of sound. Master Wu was already an old man full of secrets, many of which he may never reveal, even if they may prove vital to the ninja's progress to save their home. The more the teal kunoichi thought about it, the more plausible it felt to her.

"So he thinks we're just a bunch of tools for him to play around with?" Heather subconsciously curled her fists.

"I'm not saying he is," Luna tried to alleviate Heather's suspicions, "I was probably being paranoid."

The teal kunoichi remembered she was here to learn more about her teammate, not grow suspicious because of a silly hunch.

"There's no evidence that Wu has some other plans for us," She said, perhaps to ease herself, "It can't be helped, I suppose."

"Yeah..."

"But if that's what you think, then why did you join the Secret Ninja Force in the first place?"

"I gotta be honest, I don't really know either… I see everyone in school striving for a great career such as a doctor or scientist but me… I only want to be an idol, which isn't much compared to what the rest of the teens and knowing that… it's still all I want… Is that a bad thing…?"

"I was content just working at the flower shop so I'm probably not one to judge."

"So what made _you_ join the ninja?"

"Don't get me wrong. I do like my job but I wonder even before this whole ninja business, I sometimes wondered if there's other things I could be doing, almost like I'm not utilizing my full potential."

"I can see that, though I can't say the same for myself."

"Yeah. I remember you saying you were scared when we joined."

"And Master Wu let me in because of that. I still don't understand why he did. I'm still not that good at this ninja stuff, at least not as good as the rest of you."

"Don't say it like that. Learning how to fight, especially at our age now, will take a long time. Nobody's good at anything in an instant."

"I guess..."

Silence fell over the two kunoichi for several moments. They still didn't know each other very well and they had no idea what else to talk about.

"We should probably head back." Luna suggested.

"Right."

The pair hurried back to the hideout. They still had more things to work out as ninja but it will take a lot of time before they can find their inner peace.

* * *

Breaking news interrupted whatever shows were airing on the TVs of Ninjago the moment the Shark Army made their next move.

"Are those losers ever gonna learn?" Nya sighed in exasperation watching the Shark Army.

"You know what this means," Lloyd started, "Looks like we'll have to stop them… again."

The ninja waited for their teacher to pick out who will go and who will stay.

"Zane, Jay, and Cole shall accompany you…" Master Wu began picking out who'll be going today.

"Anyone else?" Iris prodded him to continue.

"Heather and Iris will go too." He selected two more ninja for today's mission.

"You can count on us!" The green ninja accepted the task and led his allies out to the city.

* * *

No sooner had the designated team arrived that they made it on the news. The remaining ninja were glued to the screen as they saw the beginning of the battle draw out like those in anime.

Zane fired his arrows at the Shark Army's weaponry and Jay would use the sickle of his kusarigama to yank them away, making way for Cole to crush them into useless pieces with his massive warhammer. Heather and Aria used direct confrontation when dealing with the Shark Army. The minions with blunt weapons dueled the kunoichi of nature with her mace while Iris with her sword and shield. While his teammates fought off his father's lowly henchmen, Lloyd saved the latest General #1 for himself. The leaders of the dueling factions faced off in a one-on-one battle. With both of them wielding swords, it was a classic sword duel between them.

"You just never learn, do you?" The Shark Army leader talked down at the green ninja.

"Nope." The green-eyed vigilante retorted and then pushed his opponent back with a sudden burst of strength. It still wasn't enough as the crab-themed minion didn't yield.

Back at the ninja stronghold, the remaining team members watched the whole thing.

"Come on Jay, you can do it!" Nya tried to rally her teammate, even if he can't hear her.

"Dammit! It should be me fighting the Shark Army!" Kai fidgeted in his seat. The ninja were doing well but they'd be doing much better if he was there.

"Do you think the ninja will beat them?" Luna asked, concerned for her teammates.

"Of course they will! It's TV!" Aria exclaimed, earning herself strange looks from the others.

Right at that moment, the ninja began to gradually beat back the Shark Army.

Back at the streets of Ninjago City, the dueling faction of ninja refused to give up and their persistence was finally starting to pay off. The Shark Army's forces were becoming exhausted. The ninja didn't give up and kept pushing forward.

"This is it!" Cole rallied his teammates, "This is the final moment! Don't hold back!"

Lloyd continued dueling General #1 and as luck would have it, the latter's sword started to chip. Seems like Lord Garmadon cheaped out on the materials for his lackeys' weapons. The green ninja overcame his opponent with a burst of energy and the Shark Army leader's sword shattered into tiny pieces.

"Looks like you're done for." The leader of the ninja stared down at his defeated opponent.

With the Shark Army subdued, police sirens buzzed and several cops arrived.

"Where the hell have you guys been!?" Iris was more annoyed than anything that the cops chose this time to _finally_ get off their asses and do something about the Shark Army.

"You're under arrest!" The cops were prepared to send the Shark Army to jail.

"Let them go." The green ninja intervened before the cops can even handcuff the sea creature-themed underlings, letting them run back to the volcano lair of their overlord, much to everyone's confusion.

"Look, kid… young man… or whoever you are, the Shark Army are criminals and according to the laws, they must face repercussions for their actions from the city justice."

"No. Knowing Lord Garmadon, he's already doing the punishing." The green-eyed vigilante answered.

"Welp, in that case, our work is done. We'll leave you guys to everything." The police force somehow knew they would be of no help to the conflict as long as the ninja were involved and drove off.

"It's happened…!" The reporters gasped seeing the outcome of today's skirmish, "The ninja defeated the Shark Army yet again! They seem to be finally showing some promise!"

"They did it!" The other ninja at the base also cheered for their teammates.

"See? I told you!" Aria boasted once it was clear the battle was won by the Secret Ninja Force.

Master Wu watched silently in the back. He was pleased with his students' victory but he knew it will not last. The path to becoming a ninja will only grow more difficult after each victory or defeat. A time will come when everything they learned and even their bonds will be put to the test.

* * *

"Luna, let me show you something!" Iris rummaged through her backpack for a bit until she found her sketchbook and flipped through the pages until she reached her newest sketches at school.

Luna assumed they were most likely designs for her mech since they all appeared to be large animals with mechanical details such as gears on the limbs and rough sketches of their inner compartments.

'Even Iris is making more progress than me...' The kunoichi of sound thought to herself with envy.

"Well?" The violet-eyed girl implored her friend to have her say over her ideas.

"I'm not good with any of this elemental associations and mech stuff but I think this might be a good match." The purple kunoichi pointed at what looked like a tiger.

"Really? I have a bit of a soft spot for this one." Iris showed her a different sketch resembling a wolf.

"When it boils down to it, those two are essentially the same."

"But I still can't decide which one to choose. I gotta make my choice before I can start building it."

"This is _your_ mech after all. If there's anyone who should choose, it's you."

"Gee, some help you are."

"Don't blame me. I'm not good with this machinery stuff."

"Should've expected as much. I'd have better luck talking to Jay or Zane about this." Iris packed up her sketchbook and walked out, leaving Luna in the dust.

The kunoichi of sound was left feeling awkward. She didn't say anything offensive nor insult the pink kunoichi. Knowing from experience, Iris can be a little careless at times underneath her cutesy Sweet Lolita dresses. The warning bell interrupted her thoughts and she headed off to her first class. There's plenty of time to think about other stuff later.

* * *

Cole and Zane wandered through the streets of Ninjago City together. They often chose to spend time with each other more than anyone else and they still have yet to deduce why but dismissed it. All that mattered now was that they can make more moments to cherish. Zane was simply content being with someone who saw him as another person and Cole probably wanted to indulge in some good food.

"Cole..." The android was the one to initiate a conversation.

The black ninja let out a small 'hmm', letting his friend know he was listening.

"May I ask what your residence is like?"

"What makes you want to know about my place?"

"Forgive my intrusiveness but I am aware that you have visited my residence twice while I have never been to your abode, much less even seen it."

A long, loud sigh escaped from Cole's lips. He never liked to talk about his background but with Zane, he felt compelled to make today an exception.

"All I'll say is that it's… different from your apartment to say the least..."

"Can you give me an example?"

Cole knew Zane was far from stupid and if he tries to be subtle, the robot will most likely connect the pieces together with little effort. It'll be pointless wasting time with subtleties and he wasn't even one to sugarcoat the truth to begin with.

"Before I say anything, make sure you'll never speak of this to anyone." The black ninja started.

"Do not worry. I will have the topic locked from my speech mechanisms." Zane promised.

Cole let out yet another sigh and paused for several moments before revealing his home life for what may be for the first time.

"My dad is a member of the famous barbershop quartet, the Royal Blacksmiths. That means my family is very wealthy."

"I assume your residence is in the affluent upper districts of Ninjago City?"

"Yeah..."

"You do not seem happy about it."

"Being rich isn't all it's cracked up to be. Being surrounded by snobs who don't even try to understand you and won't accept anyone or anything that doesn't fit their ideals pretty much sums up life in high society. At least those are my experiences. If that's what being cultured and sophisticated is all about, then I might as well be a hick."

"That is… very different from the descriptions other inhabitants have of the wealthier parts of Ninjago City..." Zane felt terrible for his friend who seemed to dislike his social standing.

"Let me guess, they think it's all glitz, glamour, and luxury?" Cole asked dryly.

"Whenever I hear locals speak of any topic concerning the upper society, their voices contain a certain sense of reverence, admiration, and even at times, envy." The ice ninja

"Really?" Cole mentally scoffed at the naive locals who don't know what life of the rich and famous is really like. At least with someone like his dad as their only family.

"I sense speaking of this subject is causing you stress. I am sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for everything."

"Even if I initiated it?"

"Look, I'm not good with lectures and that sort of stuff. Go to Master Wu for that sort of stuff. But take my word for it. Never apologize for being who you are."

"I wonder where you got your beliefs."

"Honestly, I don't know. It's kinda like they were imbued into my very being since the day I was born. I don't believe in traits being inherited and I'm certainly not like my dad. Maybe I only believe them to go against him."

"And your mother?"

"I can't say anything about that. She died before I could remember her."

Cole suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head and saw… a face…?

He wasn't even sure if it was a face. The image in his head disappeared as suddenly as it came and he didn't even get a good look at it. At least the piercing headache left with it.

"Cole!" Zane immediately checked his vitals. The earth ninja's body temperature was healthy and his breathing and pulse were stable.

"Cole, are you in need of medical attention?" The ice ninja's voice snapped Cole out of his daze.

"No," The black ninja brushed him off, "I just thought of something. That's all."

The android sensed his teammate's unease and didn't voice the many questions he still had. Still, his sense of closeness with Cole didn't diminish. Maybe both of them will find the answers one day.

* * *

Garmadon grew more and more frustrated by his minions' ever growing string of failures no thanks to the Secret Ninja Force. Production for his plans are slowing down and the Shark Army's morale started to plummet. The dark lord won't let the ninja or even his own minions sabotage his ambitions to take over Ninjago City and obtain what he's really after.

As much as he avoided being with him, the dark lord still yearned to be the father he could've been for Lloyd, which planted the seeds for the ominous feeling deep in the heart he concealed from all but the only person he ever truly loved.

Judging from what little of NTV News without his interference he had watched, the Secret Ninja Force is starting to gain at least some admiration from the locals, especially the youth. Lloyd may be around his teen years now but he could still be swayed by the populace into looking up to the ninja. The dark lord found himself dreading that will come to pass.

Even if he was never there for his son, that didn't mean he doesn't care for him… right?

Despite his conflicting thoughts, Garmadon still planned to take over Ninjago. If he were to take over, he'll make sure no one will ever say or do anything out of ill intentions to his son. If only there's a way to make Lloyd know that then maybe he can finally be the father he almost was.

If only the ninja will stop getting in the way of his true ambitions...

* * *

After surviving a hellish bus ride to school, Lloyd was greeted by even more glares by even more teens at Ninjago High, that is until he finally saw a face that didn't give him any dirty looks.

"Lloyd!" Of course. Leave it to Kai to make going through a school day unnoticed next to impossible.

"What do you want?" The green ninja greeted him belligerently. Even after all these years, there were times Lloyd didn't fully trust Kai.

"I just wanna hang out with my best pal. What's wrong with that?" The naive fire ninja answered.

"Why do you even bother?"

"Bother with what?"

"Why do you insist on hanging out all the time? I'm probably dragging you down."

"You're not dragging anyone down!"

"Oh yeah? Then how come I don't see a lot of people talking to you?"

"That's cuz… you know..."

"Lloyd, you're nothing like how everyone else assumes you are. You're nothing like your father."

"And what if I am?"

The red ninja was mortified the moment Lloyd seemingly gave in to the moronic masses' opinions of him. He knew Lloyd for years and he never saw this spawn of evil everyone else assumed he was. No, Lloyd was his own unique person. He may be the most cynical person in Ninjago (which is justified) but nobody's perfect. Other than that, Lloyd was much more than Ninjago City's designated punching bag. He liked candy just as much as he did when they first met, he was just as much of an avid anime fan as the fire ninja himself, and he clearly had a penchant for building new things and anything of that sort. Lloyd was nothing like his father.

"Since when did you let anyone else decide what kind of person you are?" Kai questioned him.

"And how do you know I'm not like my dad if you don't know what he's like?" Lloyd retorted.

"You're not your father! You don't have black skin, red eyes, and four arms! I never see you try to take over Ninjago City! No two people are ever alike! Lloyd, you are you!"

"If that's so, then tell me who I am."

"Look. This isn't for me to decide. That's for you to find out but what I do know is that you'll never end up like you father."

Lloyd still doubted Kai… and he felt a slight discomfort in his chest. It was probably the stress he faced on a daily basis so he dismissed it as such. Besides, there are much bigger things to worry about than chest pain...

* * *

Jay gulped when he had to face Aria in battle.

'Focus, Jay!' He reminded himself, 'You survived several battles with the Shark Army! You can do this!'

The blue ninja stretched the chain of his weapon but didn't do anything yet. He wanted to know what Aria was planning to do before taking action.

Jay swung his kusarigama, the chains surrounding his opponent. Aria couldn't decide what to do fast enough and in her confusion, the rings of cold metal wrapped around her, escaping her attention. The blue ninja yanked his weapon again and the chains tightened around the kunoichi of wind, ensnaring her. Aria struggled to free herself but with her arms also incapacitated, she maladroitly fell on her face and she felt a pit in her stomach when she felt her daggers slip from her grasp. Before she could take out the chains and retrieve her blades, the lightning ninja managed to snatch them in a flash.

Much to Jay's surprise, Aria was not above using her own body to attack. Still wrapped in chains, she threw herself at him, causing the dueling pair to tumble on the ground for a bit and the lightning ninja lost the daggers in the process. Once both of them overcame their dizziness, they fought in a frenzied scramble for the blades. While Jay was faster, Aria tried every trick in the book to beat him even as she struggled to free herself from the chains. Once she was finally freed from Jay's weapon, the kunoichi of wind lunged at her opponent to reclaim her daggers.

Aria pushed Jay again and the momentum made him lose his grip on one of the daggers. The orange kunoichi finally retrieved her weapon and grabbed the other blade. The dueling pair were locked in a childish game of tug-of-war. Jay and Aria seemed evenly matched in terms of physical strength and it felt like forever as they kept tugging until...

"That's enough." Master Wu put an end to his students' match.

Both ninja let go, sending them tumbling backwards.

"Uh… who won…?" Jay asked after getting up.

"Does it really matter who is victorious if you're on the same side?"

The blue ninja fell silent, thankful that his orange scarf hid his embarrassed blush.

"No one should ever be ashamed of asking any sort of question. It is only by asking them that we gain the answers we seek."

"I gotta say using your kusarigama like that is a pretty smart move." Aria complimented Jay's intellect that was often overshadowed by his timidness.

"Thanks, I guess..." The timid blue ninja was as flustered as ever.

Master Wu continued observing his students. They were making progress not only in training but also developing various relationships with one another.

The ninja were growing up and before they know it, the plot will start to thicken…

* * *

 **And it is indeed. As the ninja continue their adventures, we will not only explore their bonds but also their past. Also, that chest pain Lloyd felt… it will be important later. But as always, all the ninja's secrets will be revealed much later so in the meantime, please review.**


	52. What's a Motto?

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another day, another update.**

 **Again, it's another chapter of action, humor, & interactions. It's not much but please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 51: What's a Motto?

Looks like Garmadon's at it again. The Shark Army instigated another raid at the beach near their boss' volcano base. With larger numbers compared to their last attempt to win the dark lord's favor, Master Wu sent the entire Secret Ninja Force to stop them.

"Remember our strategy?" Cole gathered the team together right before confronting the enemies.

"Yeah, yeah," Iris rolled her eyes, "We'll have three ninja dealing with direct confrontation, three more also fight but keep an eye on the others, while the rest provide back-up."

"This isn't something to be taken lightly, Iris," The black ninja scolded her, "We have to be prepared for every skirmish with the Shark Army if we want to save Ninjago."

Lloyd mentally cringed at his teammate's words. He couldn't care less about the city's people who did nothing to him except make his life miserable. Still, he had a job to do and he had other reasons to be part of the Secret Ninja Force. It's too late to turn back now.

"Is everybody ready?" He made sure the team were prepared once he regained his senses.

"Of course!" His teammates brandished their weapons, prepared for what's to come.

"Let's go!" The ninja charged into battle.

The ninja were able to follow through with their strategy. Kai, Jay, and Heather were at the front line, fighting off any enemy in their way. Luna, Cole, and Zane stayed in the background, keeping an eye on the citizens so no one got hurt as well as keeping the first three ninja from getting ambushed.

The ice ninja caught sight of a Shark Army member trying to sneak up on Heather. He didn't hesitate to fire an arrow at the fish-shaped club raised above them, making the lackey lose their grip on their weapon. The teal kunoichi was too preoccupied on fending off the Shark Army minion in front of her to even notice and she may never know what her teammate had done for her, not that the white ninja minded. What mattered above all else was that the Secret Ninja Force will get through this fight in one piece, whatever that means.

As for the rest of the team, they were scattered wherever they were needed, not being bound to one place or role. Iris switched between fighting the Shark Army by herself and helping her teammates and Aria chased after the closest enemies she could track down. In the corner of her eye, the kunoichi of wind saw the 'offense team' being surrounded by more and more enemies. She didn't think even once when she joined them and fought off the bulk of the Shark Army.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Kai was bewildered by Aria's intrusion but was too preoccupied by his task to wait for answers, which she didn't give anyway.

The Secret Ninja Force paid their undivided attention to the Shark Army and their task. The townsfolk who were brave enough to stay and watch the battle had no idea what was really going on. It seemed like everything was happening so fast. Weapons clashed and blows were exchanged. The Secret Ninja Forced continued to show their potential and the Shark Army's forces were exhausted.

"General! I'm out of ammo!" One of the lesser goons whined to their higher-up.

"Quit complaining and just fight with your fists!" General #1 dismissed them. They tried to follow their leader's orders but they made the unfortunate mistake of trying to take on the muscular earth ninja. It took mere moments for their adversary to give them so many bruises there were no hints of their true complexion left.

The ninja's strategy started showing results and before anyone knew it, the Shark Army's forces have dwindled until they were too worn out and scared to fight anymore. The Secret Ninja Force emerged victorious and the crowds cheered for them.

Lloyd, having been bullied all his life, had no idea what to make of the people adoring him. They had no idea that one of the heroes they look up to is the same outcast they despise. If they ever find out, who knows what will happen.

But all that matters right now is that he's one step closer to finding what he truly seeks.

* * *

Back at the hideout, the Secret Ninja Force celebrated another mission well done.

"I'm not one to toot my own horn but I think I'm starting to get the hang of being a kunoichi." Heather admitted, feeling a bit more confident with her new occupation.

"It is not much but I baked some cookies beforehand. With our latest victory, now is the perfect time to enjoy them." Zane offered yet more homemade treats which made the celebration even better.

While the others celebrated, Kai felt that there was something missing during their battle. There was something he felt the team should've done to make the victory even more worthwhile. The fire ninja thought for a while until he finally recognized what was missing.

"You know, I've been thinking lately." Kai spoke up.

"You think?" Nya deadpanned, earning a glare from her brother as fiery as his element.

"It's kinda boring to just head off into battle you know?" The fire ninja started, "You've all seen those shows where the heroes make an epic speech or catchy motto right before the fight, right?"

"What are you talking about? Fighting the Shark Army is anything but boring!" Aria retorted.

"We gotta think of some sort of motto. Something to say right before a battle."

"Kai, we're not here to be cliched," Lloyd said, "The last thing I need is to be the center of even more attention. You're not gonna waste everyone's time trying to come up with some stupid motto."

"Geez, Lloyd! It's not all about you!" Iris shot an annoyed glance towards the green ninja, who dished it back.

"That's not the point!" The ninja leader argued.

"I see where you're getting at," Nya agreed with her brother, to everyone's surprise, "If we're gonna be well-known to the public, then we might as well come up with a trademark that people will recognize us for."

"Let's rock!" Cole offered a suggestion.

"Secret Ninja Force battle plan ready. Execute." Even Zane was in on it, much to Lloyd's aggravation.

"Let's ninja?" Aria added her idea.

"Ninja… go…?"

Everyone fell silent the moment Kai made his suggestion. There was something about that seemingly silly phrase that just clicked with them.

"That actually sounds kinda catchy." Jay was the first to say something about the red ninja's idea.

"Ninja go… It has a nice ring to it." Cole nodded.

"With the city already being called Ninjago, there is only twelve percent chance of the locals finding it suspicious." Zane quipped.

Everyone else looked at Lloyd, waiting for his approval.

"Fine! But I still think this is stupid! If anyone's gonna make fun of it, don't blame me!" The green ninja scowled but since it's what the majority wants, he'll just have to deal with it.

"Looks like we have our new motto! Ninja go!" Kai struck a pose but the other ninja didn't quite catch on and stared at him like he was a madman.

"What?" The fire ninja asked with annoyance while maintaining his silly pose, "Don't just stand there! We gotta pose together!"

"Unlike you, we don't plan on crossing any lines." Iris deadpanned.

"What are you talking about!?"

"Kai, there's a very fine line between making an impression… and looking like an idiot. I wouldn't want for you to destroy it."

"I do not understand why you are talking about lines all of a sudden," The ever naive Zane spoke, "I do not see any of these lines you speak of."

"It's just a figure of speech, Zane." Jay dismissed the android, not wanting things to escalate.

Master Wu watched his students interact from afar and found their antics amusing. Only time will tell if that new motto of theirs will provide them what they want out of it.

* * *

During the ninja's usual training breaks, Iris saw the perfect opportunity to come up with the perfect mech and took it.

"Jay!" She hollered at her tech-savvy teammate.

The lightning ninja emitted a high-pitched yelp. Thankfully, he overcame his shock fairly quickly and he wasn't working on any gadgets at the time.

"Is there something you need help with?" The timid ninja asked her after catching his breath.

"I have some ideas for my mech but I wanna hear your opinion first."

"Why me? Why not Zane or Lloyd? They're also good with machines."

"You happen to be the closest one. Is that good enough?"

Jay didn't know how to respond but it didn't matter since Iris continued.

"Uncle once told me of this thing he sometimes work with at the engineering company. It's also pretty common in my homeland. It's been a while since he mentioned it so I might not remember the exact name. I think it's name is… yozhik…? Or was it called stali…?"

"Zhelezo ore," Jay corrected her, "It's one of the most versatile and durable substances in the world. I wouldn't be surprised if- Wait a sec!"

The blue ninja saw the puzzle pieces coming together and gears in his head started turning, even if the kunoichi of metal didn't look too happy for some reason.

"If you say there's a lot of zhelezo ore where you're from… and there's very few places where it comes in abundance... then that can only mean… This is probably a shot in the dark but you don't happen to be from the city of Almaz, are you…?"

"Shush!" The pink kunoichi hushed him, "Nobody needs to know that!"

"Why not? Almost everyone knows I grew up in Parsa. What's so bad about you being from Almaz?"

"It's just..." The violet-eyed girl looked like she wanted to say more but something stopped her, "Forget it! Look, I need your help with my mech!"

Although he complied, Jay still wondered why Iris was so worked up over talking about her homeland.

Almaz was a city far to the north of Ninjago City. While its winters were very harsh, the land itself was rich with natural resources, including minerals such as the zhelezo ore that was common there. Much like Parsa, Almaz has its own distinct culture very different from that of Ninjago City and while it also enjoys a reputation for being technologically advanced, there were many different reputations, some good and others… not so much.

"But you don't have to get all worked up about not being from here." Jay accidentally finished aloud.

"I-it's nothing," The kunoichi of metal's temper seemed to have simmered down a bit, "We should be living in the present, not the past. Anyway, I've been thinking about having my mech built with zhelezo ore but first, I'm gonna need some advice."

"Is there any particular details you're concerned with?"

"I have the kind of design I want but I'm still trying to come up with some unique features such as its attacks. Also, the only way I know how to get zhelezo ore is to ask Uncle Karloff but he might become suspicious. He's much smarter than he lets on. Why else would a teenage girl be interested in minerals all of a sudden?"

"Because you crave it." Zane suddenly popped up to deliver yet another outdated meme.

"Thanks..." Iris was put off by the white ninja's… quirkiness.

After the obligatory comic relief, the lightning ninja thought of a way to help his teammate.

"My parents are inventors and they've worked with zhelezo ore before. Maybe I can ask them instead so you don't have to worry about your uncle." He suggested.

"You sure about that? What are you going to tell them?" Iris asked, still unaware of his family's ways.

"I can tell them I'm making some inventions. Inventing runs in my family's blood."

"And how will they get zhelezo ore?"

"I never really thought about it. My parents always go and get the things they need and they never tell me where they get them. I've asked before but they always dismiss me. But what matters is that they have what they need."

"But you're still gonna get some zhelezo ore for me, right?" Iris asked, pulling off her puppy-dog eyes look, hoping it'll convince Jay like it always does for Karloff.

"Let me see your design first." Nope. Not gonna happen.

Iris sighed in defeat but showed him her sketches, all of them depicting giant mechanical animals. Jay can tell she was inspired by that hit game 'Legends of the Wild'. He couldn't blame her since he liked the game too.

"Which one did you pick?" He asked after getting a good look at the designs.

"I wanna go with this one." The pink kunoichi pointed at the wolf.

"I'm still working on my own mech but I'll lend a hand whenever you need it." He complied.

"Jay! You're the best!" Iris gushed before scampering off.

The blue ninja was flustered, though not to the same extent whenever Nya compliments him. He still wasn't that good with receiving praise. All he could think of was how the hell he got into this mess.

* * *

Zane and Aria never really interacted before which was probably why Master Wu selected them to go on today's training out in the open without him. The pair wandered through the wilderness near the edge of Ninjago City.

"So… uh… what do you wanna talk about?" Aria tried chatting with the android but had no idea where to start.

"You humans talk about many different subjects," Zane started in his ever quirky ways, "Yet each and every one draws them in just as much as the other."

"I never thought someone like you would be so… psychological…?" The orange kunoichi had the word at the tip of her tongue but just couldn't find it.

"Do you mean philosophical?" The ice ninja corrected her after going through the dictionary installed within his programming.

"Yeah, that."

"Perhaps it is because I am not human that makes me notice a lot about them."

Aria can sense that Zane felt uneasy when talking about how different he was and it wasn't that kind of difference every single person had with everybody else. Being what could possibly be the sole robot in the entire city seems to weigh a lot on the white ninja. Even the kunoichi of wind knew better than to give him a hard time and switched the subject.

"Is there any school clubs you're a part of?" She tried to divert the android's mind on something else.

"I am in the audiovisual club."

"There's an audiovisual club at Ninjago High?"

"Yes and I do not bear any ill will towards you for asking. In fact, I expected you to say such since I am the only member."

"That's just sad."

"You are the third person to say such a thing."

Aria still didn't know what to make of her robot teammate. He seemed like a sweet person despite his naivete in certain topics and some unnerving habits such as his face twitching sometimes.

"Do you ever wonder why whoever built you… did that?" She asked.

"Did what?" Zane tilted his head as he usually does when he doesn't understand his teammates.

"You know… make you…?"

The humanoid paused for several moments, remembering his earliest memories with his father.

"It was my father who constructed my body. When I was first activated, one of the very first things he said to me was that I am me, no matter my physical properties. I still have yet to decipher why he built me instead of marrying and have a child of his own or even adopt. However, he also said we live not to wonder about the past but to forge our own identities and our future."

"What do you think the future holds for you?"

"Becoming a protector of the city is not what I had in mind a long time ago, even though helping those who cannot help themselves is an ideal that has been ingrained within my programming. Father also said that not knowing what will happen next is part of the beauty of living. It is another concept I have yet to understand but I will still continue to live here because I also wish to experience life just like the rest of you humans."

Now it was Aria's turn to feel uncomfortable. She was always trying to figure out what the future may hold for her and didn't really think about what will become of her once she finds the answers.

Does the future have some sort of greater plan for her?

And will being a ninja help?

"Aria!" The ice ninja's voice interrupted her thoughts, bringing her mind back to the wonderful, hi-def reality in all its bleak glory.

"Aria, you look uneasy. Should we return to the hideout?" Zane observed her tense expression.

"I guess so."

The two headed back after a fruitless attempt to know more about one another.

Maybe they'll have another chance someday.

* * *

Kai and Nya remained silent while their parents checked their grades as of this interim. Ray and Maya examined the papers sent from Ninjago High and weren't too disappointed. They weren't surprised at their children getting an A in PE, which was apparently their best class. Other than that, their kids had their ups and downs. Kai's best grades were in history and science while Nya did better when it came to math and art. Their parents weren't surprised to see where their children majored but today, there was an exception. Nya usually did very well in math so Ray and Maya were surprised when they saw a B+ rather than an A in this interim's report card.

"You both did well, though there are a couple of surprises." Ray showed his children their grades.

Nya's expression darkened the moment she saw the B+ on her report card. She was the best when it comes to math no matter how much she hated it. She needed to do well so she can prove to Ninjago that she won't need anybody's help to show that she was a strong and independent young woman.

"Nya, you still did good." Maya tried to console her daughter. Knowing she was a bit of a perfectionist, she already sensed her child was not happy about her grade.

"But I could've been better," The headstrong girl still berated herself, "If only I got more points at that last algebra exam, I could've gotten an A."

"Sis, you're being way to hard on yourself. A B isn't the end of the world." Kai wasn't as patient as his parents when dealing with his sister's bouts of self-deprecation.

"Stop pretending I don't know that!"

"Then stop whining! I'm sure the others aren't having as much of a hard time!"

* * *

Despite his cool image, Cole made sure to do good in school. It's never cool to slack off during studies, even if he hated it just as much as every teen in Ninjago. Even with a good school record, Lou was as cold as ever while looking at his son's grades. Cole himself remained apathetic since this was how his father acted every time the report cards come in. He never cared if he got straight A's or not. He'll be nothing but a disgrace for refusing to follow in his footsteps.

Lou only looked at his son with a stern expression before leaving the room as he always does when he does well in school. Once their 'meeting' was done and over with, Cole went straight for the training room to lift some weights. He couldn't care less of what his dad thinks nor did he find any reason to.

Why should he give a damn if all his father will always see him as a disappointment?

The earth ninja found himself unsatisfied after many minutes in the training room. He had a hunch it was because he's already working out on a daily basis at the ninja base. He might need to find another way to channel his frustrations.

* * *

Nya now spent much of the ninja's breaks working on her mech. So far, progress was going smoothly. She _always_ made sure not a single part was out of place, even in the slightest. Her Water Strider will be both powerful and versatile. It's going to be perfect.

"Are you in need of assistance?" Zane asked, being eager to help others as always.

"Nah, I'm good." The silver kunoichi dismissed him.

Even with her denying any help, the ice ninja remained by his teammate's side.

"Is there anything you'd like to say?" Nya was slightly unnerved by the way he stood completely still, not even blinking. He really looked just like a life-sized doll simply standing there.

"I only have some simple ideas for the moment."

"Can you tell me?"

"I intend for my mech to run on freon cells like my body does and perhaps produce ice."

"Interesting. It's kinda like how I'm designing the Water Strider to work atop of and even underwater."

"I assume versatility is your main priority with your mech."

"Pretty much."

Nya didn't mind having Zane around. As… odd… as he may be, he was still a very sweet person. As for Zane, he found the silver kunoichi's strong will and refusal to let others' opinions get to her something worth looking up to. Perhaps being in the Secret Ninja Force may not be so bad…

* * *

 **Looks like the ninja are starting to get attention from the locals. You'll have to wait & see how they'll feel having everyone's eyes on them but until then, please review.**


	53. See the World Go By

**Discovering Destiny**

 **As always, here's another update. It's not much but I haven't been feeling good for the last few days but I'll still do my best to see this story through to the end. This story focuses more on the ninja's daily interactions & maybe allude to some secrets. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 52: See the World Go By

To prepare for her role as the ballerina in the school's upcoming musical, Luna had taken up ballet and it turns out trying to perfect those elegant and graceful moves was very difficult, especially since she'll have to master what takes years of training in a matter of months. Standing on her tiptoes wasn't that hard since she already had some experience in dancing and even her training as a ninja improved her stamina and dexterity, even if just a little. She lifted her leg as high as she could behind her and remain still just like the ballerina but just like ballet in general, it was much harder than it seemed. The purple kunoichi wobbled and fell flat on her face after her… don't bother. She lost count after fifteen tries.

"Luna! You're doing it wrong!" Brad scolded her yet again.

"Sorry..." She sighed.

"Apologizing isn't gonna make you any better! We'll practice again in a couple of minutes!" The music club leader dismissed her.

Being a member of the music club, Cole watched the whole thing. He knew his comrade was stressed beyond belief because he was in her shoes a long time ago. He didn't want anyone to go through what he did. Nobody deserves to have their lives lived for them by someone else.

"Do you need some help?" Always eager to help others, he offered his classmate some assistance.

"What does it look like?" Luna snapped. As shy as she may be, that didn't make her immune to some pretty nasty mood swings.

"No need to bite my head off," The black ninja raised his hands in self-defense, "I was just making sure you'll be okay."

"I think I'll be fine. I've done dancing before but it doesn't seem to make ballet seem any easier."

"Nothing's easy at first no matter how much you like it."

"Tell me about it."

"What was it like singing for the first time?"

"W-why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious."

"Believe it or not, I wasn't that great when I started. Singing was something I enjoyed all my life. Even with that, I often made mistakes when I started. I was scolded for being off-key or messing up with the lyrics yet I kept singing because even if I wasn't at a professional level, I still loved it."

"I noticed that you're always so passionate when it comes to singing and just about anything you love. I like it."

Luna felt her face heat up at Cole's remark. He may not be addressing herself but something about her and that was enough to make her blush. Being the quiet person he was in school, the laid-back young man didn't give out compliments very often. His remark felt like a glowing review to the music-loving girl, who already looked up to him.

"Don't say that. I'm not that great." The kunoichi of sound finally came up with a response after many moments mentally spazzing out.

"Why would you say that after everything we've been through? You could've quit before but here you are, still chasing your dream. Because of that I think you could be a great kunoichi one day." Cole said.

Yet again, Luna became flustered by the strong ninja's comments. This was the most he's ever spoken to her. She already felt like the luckiest person in Ninjago.

And just as always, her bit of good luck was jinxed.

"Break's over!" Brad interrupted the moment, "Luna! Start practicing!"

Luna headed back to the stage and practice again. This time, Cole's words gave her some confidence and she didn't hesitate to try again… and fail yet again.

* * *

Jay arrived with his father at the harbor not far from the ninja's base with some zhelezo ore. Luckily, a bunch of it just arrived from the lands north of Ninjago. Of course his parents were the ones to obtain it, even if their son wasn't so keen on telling them what he needed it for other than his usual tinkering and inventing. They seemed to have bought it for now.

"Is that all you need?" Ed inspected the supply of zhelezo ore.

"I'll be fine, Dad." Jay answered, hoping his parent won't prod him for more information.

"I can't wait to see what you've come up with. I'll see you later." Ed parted ways with his son.

Not long after, the others arrived for their training.

"I can't believe you were able to get zhelezo ore!" Iris was amazed by her teammate's deed.

"It was really my parents who got it." Jay dismissed her compliment.

"That doesn't matter! You got your hands on zhelezo ore! Now you can get started building my mech! Now let's go! Chop chop!" The pink kunoichi shoved him towards the designated work space for Lloyd and the more tech-savvy ninja to work on the mechs.

Speaking of mechs...

"I have finally realized what will be an optimal design for my mechanism as the ice ninja." Zane's eyes glowed and projected a hologram of what appeared to be a tank.

"That's it?" Lloyd was underwhelmed by the android's concepts, "I would've expected something a bit more complex."

"I only want what is essential for my personal mechanism to ensure victory and nothing more." The ice ninja answered flatly.

"Fine, just stop being so extra about it." The green ninja had to accept that this is what his teammate wants. While it means more work for him, at least it will keep his mind away from his family issues.

* * *

Now it was Heather and Lloyd's turn to 'train' in another outdoor session without Master Wu. Having only met each other when this whole ninja stuff started, they didn't really consider each other friends and they found no reason to call each other such. They still hardly knew anything about one another, other than some quirks they hear from other teammates.

Since Heather's element was nature, they ventured into the bamboo forest just outside Ninjago City. At least she had a clear element. Lloyd can never figure out what element he'd be affiliated with other than bad luck and despair if they can even be counted as elements.

"Lloyd, take a look at this!" Heather crouched down on a tiny bit of grassland. Letting curiosity get to him, the green ninja came over to see what his teammate was so interested in.

"That's it?" He raised an eyebrow at what the teal kunoichi had gotten worked up over.

Turns out she was only interested in a bunch of tiny white flowers growing on a tiny patch of soil. The green ninja only heard of the teal kunoichi's affiliation with flowers through Zane and this was the first time he saw it with his own eyes.

"What's up with you and flowers?" He asked the kunoichi of nature.

"It's just something I feel this sort of connection with since I was a little girl. It's kinda like Luna and her music. The natural world is so unappreciated these days."

"True, but that doesn't explain why you have this fixation with flowers."

"Look, I can't answer every single question in the universe. All I know is that I really like flowers. If you can't already tell, that's why I work at the flower shop."

"It must be nice having an element that you're already connected with."

"Maybe Master Wu has something special in store for you."

"Maybe he does. Maybe he doesn't. I don't know if there's any other element to associate with."

"Shadows?"

"I'm not interested in being an edgelord."

Heather had to use up nearly all of her willpower not to laugh at Lloyd's rejection.

"What about energy?" She added another suggestion.

"Uncle already tells me I'm the leader and 'main character', whatever that means, but that would be a bit of a stretch."

"Then what do you want?"

"I don't really want an element. All I need is at least one day where I don't have to worry about others judging me or have any chances to have a real family go further down the drain."

"Then why are you still doing this?"

"I'll tell you once you find out why you're so obsessed with a bunch of measly flowers."

Heather was tempted to punch the living shit out of the green ninja. What he goes through everyday is understandably horrible but that doesn't mean he can go around acting like a pretentious brat. Even Lloyd himself sensed she was no longer in a good mood. He already saw that she can be irritable time and again.

"You know what? Let's go and speed things up so no one gets bored." He suggested.

"Yeah." The kunoichi of nature agreed and before they knew it, the scenery switched.

* * *

"Why am I still here!?" Lloyd complained, now finding himself out on the streets of Ninjago City with no clue to why he felt like the day before literally passed in the blink of an eye.

"We're here to save the world from a giant bunny from outer space." Kai answered like it was the most matter-of-fact thing to say.

"No, really. Why are we here?" The green ninja asked sardonically.

"Take a look for yourself." The fire ninja pointed at the sign above the building in front of them saying The Petite Corner.

It was kind of miraculous that Kai never tried The Petite Corner until now, given his enthusiasm when it comes to trying all kinds of food Ninjago City has to offer. That and he's friends with Zane, who built up quite a reputation as a cook here. With Nya hanging out with her own friends, he decided he'll also spend the day with his own pals, though the only one who wasn't busy was Lloyd himself.

"Is this place any good?" Lloyd whined beside him, still mad at his friend for dragging him outside his home, the only place in Ninjago where he was safe.

"Quite shocking for you to say that after having Zane's cooking before." Kai retorted, earning himself a cross look from the green ninja.

"It's not all about food. This place could still have other problems."

"If it did, then it wouldn't be as popular as it is now."

Like Kai, Lloyd has never been to The Petite Corner but he was a more understandable case. Except for mandatory school and training, he rarely left his apartment. As understandable as it is, he should still go out and get some fresh air every once in a while and try to make some more friends. That and Kai didn't want to have anything in common with those hipsters who go to cafes with their laptops. Yeah, he may not be that much into following mainstream media but he still has standards.

"Welcome. Let me show you your table." One of the maids greeted the pair. Lloyd may have missed it but Kai saw her cheeks redden just a bit. Since nobody knew who the ninja really were, he had a good idea on why she reacted the way she did.

"No one can resist my charm." The red ninja bragged once he and Lloyd were seated and the maid left.

Lloyd scoffed at his friend's egotistical quirks. Whenever he wasn't exploding with rage at school, the hotheaded Kai would flirt with any girl that caught his fancy, winking at them or uttering bad pick-up lines. It didn't surprise the green ninja that his friend doesn't have a girlfriend so far. Certainly no one would want a typical anime protagonist-haired hothead as a lover.

"Do you think she has the hots for me?" Kai turned to his companion once the maid was gone.

"I don't know. What do _you_ think?" The green ninja deadpanned.

"I think she has the hots for me." The fire ninja threw all doubt out the window, much to his childhood friend's exasperation.

On the other hand, the Petite Corner seemed like a successful yet quaint establishment. It wasn't too crowded (probably because of the ninja's timing) and everyone seemed to like this place.

"May I take your order?" Another maid came by their table to cater to the patrons' requests.

"I'm getting the carbonara pasta." Kai requested, adding a suggestive wink that made Lloyd cringe.

"And I'll get the chicken cutlet set." Lloyd himself ordered curtly.

"Please wait for you orders to arrive." She took the menus and headed off to the kitchen.

Lloyd was annoyed when he saw his teammate send a flirtatious glance at the employee. If anything, the red ninja will only fall into a trap. From what he's seen in those bad dramas his mother sometimes watched and how certain teens in school behave, romance was nothing but glorified shit. Yes, you can roll it in glitter or paint it with rainbow colors but deep down, it's still shit.

"Thank you for the wait." The maid returned with their orders.

Kai ate his food with more gusto than Lloyd. The green ninja didn't deny that the food was very good. In fact, this was one of the best meals he had besides his mother's cooking.

"I told you you'd like this place!" Kai boasted again though Lloyd was thrown off by him talking with his mouthful and letting chewed up bits of food fly.

"Sure, the foods good but Zane probably isn't the only cook. How would we know these were made by him?" Lloyd asked even as he continued feasting on his meal.

"The customers' appreciation is all I need. I will resume my work tomorrow." The ninja heard a familiar voice coming from the kitchen doors.

The pair saw Zane himself emerge and he recognized them when he neared their table.

"It is a pleasant surprise to see you here." The android greeted his teammates.

"I thought you'd still be cooking!" Kai was astonished to see the ice ninja leave before closing time.

"It is the weekend and my schedule is different from that on weekdays," The white ninja said as flatly as he does with everything he says and then recognized the food Kai and Lloyd had, "I am pleased you are enjoying the last meals I prepared for the day."

" _You_ made this!?" Lloyd couldn't believe his luck.

"Yes. As one of the main cooks, it is my responsibility to ensure each and every dish will satisfy all the customers who come here."

"Okay, okay. No need to get all deep and stuff." Kai dismissed the humanoid and went back to eating.

"This place is above ground. It is impossible to venture deep unless one digs their way underground, which they may need the government's permission to do so." The ice ninja pointed out, still painfully oblivious to figures of speech.

"Yeah, no need for that." Lloyd said in his usual snarky way.

And before the ninja knew it, the world around them changed in an instant...

* * *

Neither Aria nor Luna knew what to think when Master Wu paired them up together for today's duel. Their weapons were similar but not the exact same. Looks like they'll find out what sets them apart in this training session. The other ninja sat to the side, just as eager to see how this will turn out.

"Begin!" Master Wu ordered the two kunoichi to start their match.

Surprisingly, it was Luna who made the first move. She charged with a simple thrust of her sai, which Aria blocked with one of her daggers, though the blade got caught between the prongs of the purple kunoichi's weapon. Steel against steel shook but the kunoichi's grip never faltered.

Luna threw her hands up and sent Aria's dagger flying. The orange kunoichi raced to reclaim her blade and was lucky it was only a short distance away. The kunoichi of sound thrust her sai towards her and the olive-skinned girl had just enough time to deflect the blow with her retrieved weapon. They began exchanging blows but every time one swung her weapon, the other blocked with her own. Master Wu observed how similar the kunoichi were. They were still young and learning more of the art of combat. As with everything else, it will be a long time before they master all the techniques and potential each of their weapons hold.

The purple kunoichi threw her sai but the kunoichi of wind sidestepped from the weapon's direction, letting the prongs hit the far wall with a loud clang. Aria swung her daggers again but Luna could only repel one of them and that was when she realized her mistake. She hurried to retrieve her remaining sai and barely managed to avoid the orange kunoichi in tow. This time, Aria was the one who attacked while Luna blocked her weapon with her own. They were constantly using the exact same tactics. Wu had seen enough.

"This match is over." The kunoichi's mentor ended their training session.

Luna, fearing what Aria might say to her, scurried back to the rest of the ninja without hesitation.

'What's up with her?' The kunoichi of wind was perplexed by her teammate's odd reaction. In the end, they did as they were told and it's no use getting worked up over it.

Master Wu knew those two kunoichi weren't the only ones. All of the ninja will need a lot more time to fully master their fighting skills and then find their true potential. But with Garmadon never ceasing his conquest for Ninjago, they'll have to manage all the time they can get.

Not even he knows what will happen in the future and he can only hope the ninja will be ready for it.

* * *

"Uncle Karloff! I'm home!" Iris greeted her relative after another training session at the ninja base.

"How did your study session go?" Karloff asked, still oblivious to the truth.

"Everything went smoothly."

"Maybe someday, you could invite them over for dinner. I would still like to show Lloyd our place and treat him to some pirozhki."

"Perhaps some other time."

During dinner, Iris' mind couldn't escape from anything involving Almaz. Ever since Jay mentioned it, she became uneasy. She was content in Ninjago City outside of Lord Garmadon's antics. There was no way she'll let things go back to the way they were.

"Uncle?" Iris finally mustered the gall to speak to her uncle about Almaz, which didn't happen a lot.

"Yes?" Karloff can sense the tension stirring up within his niece's heart but still let her continue.

"Is there any reason you decided to live in Ninjago City and not Almaz?"

Karloff had some pleasant and some not-so-fond memories of his life in Almaz. There was no need for him to look back to those times among others.

"I felt that Ninjago City needed me more than Almaz," He answered after several moments coming up with an answer without giving anything away, "Sometimes, you just have to do what's best."

"But there's more people here."

"The number of people don't matter. One way or another, trouble is always lurking. You should know that better than most people."

"What if something happens in Almaz?"

The kunoichi of metal noticed her uncle tense up for a bit before talking about their homeland.

"I can't deny Almaz was my childhood home. It still has a… special… place in my heart. If someone's in trouble, it doesn't matter where they're from. They deserve to be helped unless they're jerks."

"So do the teens at Ninjago High deserve to be saved by the ninja? We know how they treat Lloyd."

"Unfortunately, teens are always like that. Believe me, I know from personal experience. We can only hope they'll mature and grow out of that ridiculous 'rude is cool' phase."

"But I still want to stay in Ninjago City. Uncle, you don't mind me living here, do you?"

"Of course not. This city has plenty to offer to a young girl like you. Here, you can decide what kind of person you'll turn out to be."

"Is that why you didn't stay in Almaz?"

"There are some things you'll only understand in the future. I'll tell you when you're ready."

"And when's that?"

"You never know when that time comes but when you know, you know." Karloff shrugged and seemed to lose all interest in talking about Almaz.

Iris too found herself not wanting to speak of it anymore. She's living in Ninjago City now and she has her responsibilities as a kunoichi. There's nothing in Almaz that could ever lure her back...

* * *

Lord Garmadon lingered in his main office, trying to come up with a plan to take over Ninjago without those meddling ninja ruining everything. He thought about the possibility that there's a wish-granting device out there but that's all a bunch of idiotic crap only a dumb child could ever come up with.

He still had means to contact Koko but now wasn't a good time. He'll have to wait just a little longer before trying to call her or his child again. He never had anyone speak to him with such hatred until his son spoke to him, if it can be called that. On the other hand, the dark lord hadn't heard from the ever pesky Wu for some time, not that he cared.

His blood red eyes gazed towards the city where his goals lie. It has certainly changed over the course of many years. Too bad the citizens seem ignorant of the many dangers that lurk beyond the comforts of their homes and it wasn't just the dark lord. Garmadon knew there were other greater threats but it didn't quench his thirst for complete domination.

These foolish cretins will never know what hit 'em…

* * *

 **And that's it. We might get back to the action & the plot will thicken as the ninja begin to find that there are many secrets hidden throughout Ninjago City. Also, I'm planning on getting started on my ordinary life AU & I would like some advice, especially if I should make one compilation or separate one-shots & short stories based on the ideas I have. Until then, review & I'll see you later.**


	54. We Need to Talk

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Get ready folks! This chapter will be brimming with drama as well as the beginning of something terrible for Lloyd. Read on to find out.**

* * *

Chapter 53: We Need to Talk

Lloyd almost let out a snicker when he looked at Cole's drafts for his mech. He expected as much from the music-loving earth ninja. The mech stood on one large wheel with two massive arms and a bunch of woofers on the shoulders. Even the 'head' of the mech had a crest that reminded the green ninja of its designer's bushy eyebrows.

"Is something wrong?" Cole asked, noticing his teammate didn't say anything for many long moments.

"Nothing," The green ninja answered a little too quickly to be believable, "I don't see why this design can't become reality. At least it's not the first ideas Kai had."

"I heard that!" Kai himself hollered from the far end of the warehouse though neither ninja paid any attention to him. It's what he wants.

"I may not know much about this engineering stuff but let me help." Cole offered, which was expected from someone who's always eager to help others.

"Whatever." Lloyd shrugged. He knew Cole was far from a terrible person and he knew he can use a bit of extra power when it comes to lugging heavier parts around.

But if Cole becomes Jay 2.0, he's out.

* * *

The ninja relaxed in front of the TV at their hideout after another training session, except Lloyd that is. The green ninja himself was busy working on more mechs while the others were glued to the screen playing the highly anticipated Hands of Fate episode, The Mountain and the Spider. While everybody was completely fixated by the event unfolding before their eyes, Jay and Luna couldn't help but seem sad throughout.

And now, they were starting to see the answers unfold before them.

This episode starred the recently added yet already wildly popular character, Gilgamesh. With his cool appearance, witty charisma, and being a total badass in battle, it's no wonder he quickly became a fan favorite but it's still less than ten episodes since his debut and things weren't looking so great for him. The dark horse was beaten up by forces from the enemy nation and brought before its sovereign and that was just the beginning. Throughout the episode, Gilgamesh was beaten and tortured in every way imaginable since it seems to be one of the rules of the universe to have the popular characters suffer the most. After many minutes of sheer agonizing torture, it seemed like Gilgamesh will be able to get through his ordeals with his life intact but the cruel queen had other plans.

"Maybe I'll let you go," The evil Queen Irina contemplated, " _If_ you win in a trial by combat."

"Very well." Gilgamesh agreed to her terms, the poor fool.

Even if everyone except Jay and Luna read the books, they weren't surprised that Irina chose the nasty brute Prometheus as her champion. Things only got worse for Gilgamesh and he was easily beaten to a bloody pulp.

"Ever wonder how the bugs feel when they get crushed?" The hulking Prometheus asked ominously, "Let me show you…"

The monstrous warrior loomed over the bloodied Gilgamesh and the ninja were leaning on the edge of their seats. They all feared what might happen to such a beloved character. Some couldn't bear to look yet they can't look away. Maybe they felt just a tiny sense of hope that Gilgamesh will make it out of this one alive.

Prometheus then lunged at Gilgamesh and -

"We interrupt this program with breaking news!" The sudden announcement by NTV broke the ninja's stupor though some of them weren't happy about it.

"Oh come on!" Kai and Nya were _not_ thrilled having one of their favorite shows interrupted, especially during such a big climax.

"Guys, quit it! This is serious!" Cole scolded the temperamental siblings.

"Lord Garmadon has invaded the largest N Mart of Ninjago City!" Reporter Gale delivered news of the dark lord's latest escapade.

"That's not all! A larger number of Shark Army members have been spotted in the shopping districts at the opposite side of the city!" Reporter Cyrus added alongside his co-worker.

"We'll go to the crew reporting live from the scene!"

"Gale, I'm standing in front of N Mart which is on lockdown!" Several crew members stood at the front of the store. Cameras zoomed in on the windows where glimpses of the people trapped inside can be seen, "We are trying to contact the people stuck inside through phones and computers but it appears the dark lord also cut out the Wi-Fi and every last connection in the building!"

"That monster!" Gale gasped in horror at the poor people stuck inside with absolutely no Wi-Fi.

"As far as world domination goes, you couldn't get any more desperate than this." Heather remarked.

While the ninja watched the news, a familiar face caught some of the young warriors' eyes.

"Isn't that Lloyd's mom?" Kai whispered to the others, recognizing the red-haired woman maintaining a level-headed disposition while stuck in the middle of the panicking crowds in the store.

"Of course it is!" Nya hissed, also recognizing the dark lord's former wife.

"That's Lloyd's mom?" Aria asked, "But if she's there, then do you think Garmadon targeted the place because of her?"

"Wow. You actually made a good point for once." Cole said, annoying the kunoichi of wind.

The green ninja also noticed something was amiss. The other ninja, who were engrossed by the overly complicated plot twists of Hands of Fate looked like a bunch of children who were told Santa isn't real.

"What's up with you guys?" Lloyd was perplexed by his teammates' uneasy expressions. It was either a sudden twist or something bad was happening somewhere in the city.

"Lloyd, I'm not sure if you should be seeing this..." Nya glanced at the screen but obviously didn't want him to see what was going on. Unfortunately, it only made the green ninja all the more suspicious.

"Let me see!" The young ninja pushed her aside and marched towards the TV.

"Mom…!" The green ninja felt worry and panic consume his entire being when he saw his parent stuck amidst the crowds.

The first thing in Lloyd's mind was his need to go out and save his mother. He would've gone without hesitation if he hadn't remembered that his father was there too. He still didn't want to meet the man who was responsible for everything wrong in his life. At least not like this.

'But this could be your one and only chance for answers! You'd be an idiot to let this chance go!' Lloyd argued with himself.

'Well, I _am_ an idiot… An idiot for letting myself get into this mess in the first place...'

"I understand you wish to go yet want to avoid your parents at the same time." An elderly voice spoke to him before he could say anything.

"Master Wu?" The ninja prepared themselves for another psychological lecture from their mentor.

"Lloyd, it will be better for you to lead the group dealing with the Shark Army at the other side of the city." Wu instructed his nephew.

"I… understand..." The green ninja sensed his uncle assigned him this task so he wouldn't have to deal with his father so soon.

"And who else will be going where?" Jay inquired.

"You as well as Nya, Iris, and Luna go and help Lloyd stop the Shark Army." Master Wu told the fidgety blue ninja.

Jay couldn't help but feel relieved that he was going with Lloyd instead of facing the nefarious warlord though he still felt bad for those who will.

"As for the rest of you, you shall go and try to find a way to free everyone in the N Mart."

"On it!" Iris was just about ready to leave but Cole grabbed the scruff of her pink gi.

"Hold it!" The earth ninja stopped her, "Some of us might end up meeting Garmadon face-to-face for the first time! Even with the experiences we already have, there's still no way any of us could amount to anything against him, not even if it's all of us at once!"

"You won't have to worry about that." The ninja's mentor responded, much to their shock.

"Master Wu, are you even listening to what you're saying?" Iris asked, "How could you let us face off against the dark lord himself so soon? At least half of us are putting ourselves on a silver platter for the dark lord and that could very well be what he wants!"

"Are you ready to face Garmadon?"

"I was always ready." Kai boasted.

"Don't blame me if you get into trouble." Nya muttered.

"Hold on a minute," Heather interrupted, "We still don't know what to do for something like this… or… Really, I don't think we ever had to deal with this kind of stuff before..."

"What else is there to do?" Aria retorted, "Half of us will just beat up the Shark Army as usual."

"And what about the other half?" Luna pointed out.

"Maybe we don't have to fight Garmadon," Cole suggested, "There are other people who need us and we can just focus on finding a way to free them."

"Sounds like a plan, I guess." Jay found himself agreeing with the earth ninja.

"We must leave right now. Every single moment is precious and we cannot let them go to waste." Zane said before setting out.

Looks like the ninja will be in for their biggest mission yet...

* * *

Inside the N Mart, Garmadon was focused on only one hostage in the building but he won't be able to confront them if everyone else would stop running around like a bunch of headless chickens. He's not going to do something terrible to them… for the moment.

"STOP!"

Everyone froze in an instant and Garmadon recognized that voice. There's no way he'll ever forget it.

Emerging from the crowds was none other than Koko herself. Years of being a single parent apparently had little effect on her appearance. She was just as beautiful as she was the day they first laid eyes on one another. She showed absolutely no fear, not even in her eyes as she marched right up to face him up close and personal.

"It's only me you want. Leave everybody else out of this." Her voice alone was evidence that the steel hidden under her beauty was just as strong as ever.

"I thought you said you never wanted to see me again, Koko. Or should I say, Lady Iron Dragon?" The dark lord glowered at his ex-wife. The store was filled with many gasps upon the revelation that one of the most hated people in Ninjago City other than Lloyd was the same warrior immortalized in stories and legends.

The former warrior appeared unflinching and the dark lord expected just as much from her.

"So tell me," Lord Garmadon paced before the woman who loved and then left him, "How do you plan to explain everything to our son?"

"I don't have to keep living in the past," Koko said icily, "And neither do you."

"But don't you see? Take a good look at where you are. You're nothing but a shadow of the great and powerful warrior you used to be and there's no one to blame for that but yourself. I could've given you everything your heart desired but you left me and all you have to show for it is a measly existence and a child who nobody else wants around. And yet you still don't want everything to go back to the way they were?"

"What difference will it make? No matter which path I choose, I can't have everything I want. Not even _you_ will have all you want if you do manage to take over Ninjago."

"What do you know about my wants?"

"I know you want to be with him."

Garmadon felt his hardened heart stop the moment Koko mentioned their child.

"If you hadn't left, then Lloyd wouldn't have to worry about being judged. I would've kept him safe but you exposed him to a cruel world who hates him for something he had no control over. You're the last person to tell me I have no right to see my child." The dark lord stared down on his former wife.

"That's not what I intended!"

"If you're just as upset about everyone treating Lloyd like a monster, then why don't _you_ do something about it?"

Garmadon's question hit Koko hard like a hammer to the chest. Lloyd was leading the kind of life she never intended for him and it was all because of her decision to leave. But if she stayed, he won't have much of a future other than repeating his father's actions. Lloyd was not his father nor did he deserve a life of nothing but suffering. Neither path would make him truly happy.

Koko also began to have second thoughts over her decision.

Did she truly care for Lloyd or did she do it for herself?

"Get out." Koko's voice was like pure ice, "Leave. I told you once but I'll say it again. I never want to see you again. You have already done more than enough harm on our child. We are over."

Garmadon's expression was blank, making him appear even more unnerving. Koko still refused to back down, not even when he opened his mouth to say something back.

* * *

The group heading for the N Mart still had yet to arrive but they were already feeling more than a little apprehensive over the mere concept of seeing Garmadon in person.

"I can't believe this is happening," Aria started, "It's like all those training sessions and missions have passed in the blink of an eye."

"I sensed a one hundred percent chance of direct confrontation with Lord Garmadon the moment we agreed to form the Secret Ninja Force. It was unavoidable from the start." Zane said somberly.

The N Mart was within the ninja's sight and they all couldn't agree on what to do.

"This is our chance!" Kai gripped both of his katana, "We're gonna kick Garmadon's ass out of Ninjago forever! Are you all ready?"

"No." Cole said flatly.

"Too bad." The fire ninja marched towards the building.

And only now did the other ninja begin to wonder how Nya managed to maintain her sanity having to deal with her hothead of a brother all her life.

Before the ninja can get to the store, something else happened that they didn't expect.

Garmadon emerged from the building but he didn't seem to care about what was going on.

"What's going on? Zane, can you zoom in on him?" Heather tried to see the dark lord's expression but can't. At least she's with someone who can.

The ice ninja's optics closed in on the four-armed man's face and was surprised by what he saw.

"I sense a deep sadness within him," Zane said, "His eyes carry hints of his own suffering."

"Suffering? He ain't seen nothing yet." Kai growled and was ready to charge into the building if not for Cole holding him back.

"Quiet! Something's happening!" Aria pointed at the spectacle.

Koko was next to leave but once she appeared to the public's eye, Garmadon took off. The cops tried to go after him but the dark lord's ex-wife halted them.

"Let him go," She said coolly, "He doesn't deserve it."

The ninja approached the scene but Koko just kept walking like the world didn't matter to her. There were still people who needed them and they might as well stay and make sure they didn't come here for nothing...

* * *

With Lloyd's group, they were able to stop the Shark Army but something was a bit off.

While the townspeople who witnessed the battle couldn't tell the difference, the other ninja can tell the green ninja fought more ruthlessly than usual. Having seen the way he fought up close, Lloyd was already a ferocious warrior on the battlefield. It's likely he used these battles to vent his frustrations, anger, and even jealousy and with what they just witnessed earlier, it wasn't much of a surprise.

It was only when the group began to make their journey back to their lair did they try to confront the young leader over his anger issues.

"Lloyd, I think there are healthier ways to let out your problems." Jay tried to comfort his teammate.

Lloyd would've responded but when he opened his mouth, the only noise that came out was a shout of pain. The green ninja felt like he was stabbed in the chest. He tried to move any part of his body but it seemed like his own body was frozen and at the mercy, if it can even be called that, to the pain in his chest. He can't believe he was letting something so simple take him down.

"Lloyd!" Nya tried to help her friend but he brushed her off.

"It's just a small chest pain. I'll be fine." The young leader brushed off her efforts to help once the pain had lifted and he could speak again.

"Chest pain is usually the sign of something serious," Luna warned the green-eyed youth, "You should go and get it checked out before it gets worse."

"The only thing that's serious is my lack of self-worth." Lloyd dismissed her dryly.

The other ninja knew how stubborn Lloyd can be and have been concerned it will come back to haunt him one day by the looks of it, today might be that day.

* * *

The very moment training ended, Lloyd ran as fast as his legs can carry him back to his apartment. For once, the insults and glares of the townsfolk who noticed the outcast didn't matter to him. His mother was the only person in the entirety of Ninjago he completely trusted. If anything happened to her, he wouldn't know what to do or who to turn to.

"Mom!" Lloyd burst through the door and felt the weight in his chest finally leave when he caught his mother in the living room seemingly intact.

"Lloyd!" Koko clutched her son like it was now the end of the world, "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Mom, I heard about what happened."

The ex-warrior felt her heart drop. She never wanted her son to find out her deepest darkest secret, at least not like this and so soon.

"I saw Garmadon invade that store. How did you get out?"

That question alone made Koko realize Lloyd still had no idea who she used to be. She should've been relieved upon the revelation but her fears for her child overshadowed all other thoughts.

"I talked some sense into him and he won't be bothering us for some time. Lloyd, please know that I did many things for your sake. I never intended for things to go the way they did."

"I know," Her son responded, "But I still wish my life was different. I'm probably being selfish..."

"No, Lloyd. Garmadon isn't the only one to blame. I was also the one who put you into this situation. It's not his fault alone."

"But you're not evil."

"There are many different kinds of evil in this world. Lloyd, there are so many things I want to tell you but this just isn't the right time."

The green ninja felt the pain in his chest return though it wasn't as bad as before. He had no idea what was going on. All he can do now is prepare for what the future holds, whether he likes it or not.

* * *

Lloyd felt uneasy going to school but this time, it had nothing to do with his status as a pariah. He kept having this feeling of dread ever since Garmadon showed up. He watched the news for any info over what might have happened between his parents but witnesses adamantly refused to reveal anything and there was no surviving footage of what went on inside the N Mart.

What if he tempts her to go back to him? And worse, what if she takes him with her?

'I don't want to be like him.' Lloyd told himself. That man already ruined his life so why would he ever want to be like him?

'Or do you?' Another part of him began to have doubts.

'Shut up, me. I'm not gonna end up like -'

Lloyd cried out all of a sudden when that familiar pain in his chest resurfaced. He really needs to stop worrying about things out of his control. It's bad enough for him to be forever trapped in the bottom of the social ladder.

"Greetings, fellow teenager." Zane popped up from seemingly out of nowhere as he usually does.

"Hey, Zane." The green ninja sighed. The two ninja shared PE class together despite physical exercise being likely obsolete for the android.

"Something is amiss with you." The humanoid pointed out.

"When's it not?" Lloyd shrugged off the ice ninja's remark but it was what he said afterwards that got his undivided attention.

"It must be that tiny black spot on your chest that was never there before."

"What…!?"

Lloyd made a beeline for the nearest mirror and couldn't believe what he was seeing. On the right side of his chest, it was there. It was what appeared to be a tiny, tiny mole but something about it was off. It was completely pitch black, almost like...

Something was seriously wrong.

"Zane, I need to get to the nurse's office right away!" Lloyd changed back to his normal clothes.

"I do not mind escorting you." The concerned android followed him out of the locker room.

"What's the problem?" The school nurse always did her job even if she was apathetic to Lloyd's plight.

"I think I might be coming down with something." Lloyd answered, still feeling embarrassed over the idea of saying he was concerned about a little mole.

"Do you need to be excused from school?"

"Yes!" Lloyd didn't hesitate to take the chance to escape from the hellhole that is Ninjago High for just one day.

"Fine. Let me contact your mother and you can go."

Zane was going to bid his friend farewell but even before he could open his mouth, Lloyd was gone.

Apparently, some humans can run surprisingly fast.

* * *

 **Geez, Lloyd. Look where your daddy issues got you. No, it's not cancer… It's much worse.**

 **Stay tuned to find out what that mole & chest pain really means for Lloyd. As always, reviews are appreciated.**


	55. Recent Developments

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! Here, we'll see what Lloyd's newest 'development' could mean for him plus more interactions & bonding time with the team! Read on!**

* * *

Chapter 54: Recent Developments

Lloyd anxiously waited for the results of the tests done on his new mole. Koko remained by her child's side, perhaps being more fearful for his life than he is. Lloyd hated his life but he wasn't exactly keen on having it cut off all of a sudden by disease. The tests were done days ago and it was only now that the doctors finally got the results. Lloyd and his mother waited in silent tension at the office. It felt like hours have passed since their arrival when one of the doctors finally greeted them.

"Lloyd Garmadon, right this way." The doctor guided the patient and his mother into the office.

"Before I can tell you anything, I want to make sure you'll be able to handle what I'm about to tell you. Are you willing to hear the truth?"

"Go ahead." The green-eyed teen allowed him to tell the whole thing.

"We couldn't find a single trace of any abnormal or cancerous cells from the results of the tests done." The doctor told them.

"Really? I'm so relieved! Lloyd, you're going to be okay!" Koko was beyond elated that her son didn't have anything serious.

"However," The doctor cut the revelry short, "We did find something else very unusual..."

"What is it?" Koko felt her relief come crashing down.

If it isn't cancer or any other known disease, then what could it be?

"Readings claim the level of melanocytes is the same as the rest of Lloyd's flesh. It's almost like his skin was meant to be pitch black. We've never seen anything like this before." The doctor answered.

"That's unusual..." Koko was even more disturbed by the unexpected results.

"Guess I really am a freak." Lloyd sighed.

"Lloyd, sweetie, don't say it like that..."

"We're not sure what it is and you don't seem to have any medical issues but keep on eye on it just to be safe. If it grows bigger or another one appears, contact us right away."

"We will. Thank you."

Even after leaving the hospital, Lloyd and Koko were still disturbed by the doctors' strange findings.

If that mole wasn't seen as an anomaly, then what could it be and what could it imply?

"Those guys don't even know what it is," Lloyd said, "Some help they were."

"Lloyd, maybe we can go find another doctor and hear what they have to say." Koko suggested.

"They'll probably say the same thing. This is supposed to be the best hospital in Ninjago City. Even if I don't have any moles, that won't change the fact that my life sucks as it is." Her child brushed off her attempt to help him.

"No it doesn't. There are some good things in your life. It may not seem much but we have each other, a home, and the power to make our own choices. Lloyd, please try to learn to be grateful for what you have, no matter how much or how little they are. You never know what will happen next and one day, they could all disappear."

Koko knew her son still has a lot of growing up to do but she'll always be there to guide him. Nothing lasts forever but dammit, she's going to do whatever she can for him to the very end...

* * *

Luna finally improved (somewhat) with her ballet at the music club. At least she can twirl on just one leg without wobbling so much. Now, she's gonna have to start singing _while_ dancing. It wasn't much of a challenge for her since she's done it so many times before. While she was practicing, the guys in the music club were auditioning for the role of the eponymous soldier. Cole didn't join them, which didn't surprise her. He never took took part in any of the club's projects other than helping in small errands here and there. Now that she thought about it, he may love music just as much as her or maybe even more but that doesn't seem to be the main reason why he joined the music club…

"Stop! You're all terrible!" Brad complained, "Except you! You'll be playing the soldier!" He pointed at a certain member and it dawned on the kunoichi of sound what she got herself into.

'Oh no...' Luna wasn't too thrilled with the idea of performing alongside Griffin Pevsner.

No one, not even Luna, can deny Griffin was possibly the best singer in Ninjago High but he most likely sacrificed any likability for it. Besides his talent, Griffin was one of those typical popular guys who also happen to be utter jerks. He's always seen throwing insults at everyone and everything, flaunting his admittedly handsome looks and musical talent, and always expected everything to be handed over to him on a silver platter. She didn't blame Lloyd for avoiding him at any cost, even if it meant having to sit next to Chen and everyone knows how much the outcast despised the male cheerleader for making his life a living hell since elementary school. Seriously, he's that awful.

"Hey Luna, looking forward to sharing a dance with you." Griffin sent a lascivious glance her way.

Luna said nothing, repulsed by his already obnoxious attitude. If she knew he was going to get the role of the soldier, she wouldn't have even thought about auditioning. It's already too late and she was still lured by the prospect of being one step closer to achieving her lifelong dream.

"That must suck." Cole's voice briefly startled the timid girl.

"W-what…?"

"Looks like you're gonna get stuck performing with Griffin."

"I'm definitely not looking forward to it. I still want to keep my role but I don't want to sing and dance with him. I'm sorry but he gets on my nerves." Luna bemoaned her predicament.

"Yeah, I can't stand him either. He reminds me of a certain someone..."

"Who?"

Cole was far from the only person in school who didn't like the self-centered Griffin but he felt greater animosity towards him because of how similar he was to his own father. The black ninja signed up for the music club to get away from his parent, not to deal with another insufferable snob.

"Um… maybe I shouldn't have asked that..." Luna noticed the black ninja's somber expression.

"I was just thinking, that's all," He brushed off his fellow club member's concerns, "By the way, Brad's been calling you for the past few minutes."

"Luna!" The head of the music club nagged the music-loving girl to perform again. Griffin stood on the stage and was also waiting for her, much to her chagrin.

"Wish me luck." Luna told the earth ninja before going back to her rehearsals, making a silent prayer that she'll keep her sanity by the time the musical premieres.

* * *

One thing the ninja didn't expect to occur at their hideout was the wonderful sound of noisy inelegant blubbering, especially from one of their own.

Aria came to the ninja base as a sobbing wreck. With the previous episode interrupted, it aired again during the weekend and now the ninja knew why Jay and Luna were so gloomy that day. Apparently, writers are very sick and twisted people because Gilgamesh, easily one of the most popular characters of Hands of Fate, was killed off in the most gruesome and cruelest way possible. All of the ninja were saddened by such a lovable character's grisly fate but Aria was taking it worse than the rest of them. The poor girl was an overemotional mess over the whole thing.

"It's just not fair!" The orange kunoichi bawled her eyes out while Zane fruitlessly tried to comfort her, "Why do the good guys always die and the bad guys win!?"

"I know what it's like," Luna also tried to console her, "I also cried when I got to that part in the book."

"Stop! No spoilers!" Aria shouted in the middle of her hysterics.

"I don't blame you," Heather said, "I couldn't even sleep that night. I kept seeing that scene play over and over in my head."

"And the way the writers pulled it off, I actually flinched a bit." Nya confessed. It takes quite a lot to get the confident girl to do so much as wince so yes, Gilgamesh's death was that horrible.

"Still, it's such a terrible way to go. I wouldn't wish that even on my own worst enemy." Cole added.

"I would." Kai uttered darkly.

"Okay, enough with the waterworks. Nya's already the kunoichi of water." Lloyd was getting annoyed by Aria's incessant sobbing.

"I can't help it!" Aria hiccuped and _still_ cried, aggravating most of her teammates.

"Aria, I'm upset too but Gilgamesh isn't the only likable character in Hands of Fate." Heather also tried to comfort her to no avail.

"So Lloyd, did those test results come back?" Iris changed the subject from killing lovable characters to the green ninja's health.

"The doctors said it was benign." He settled with telling the others a half-truth.

"Lloyd, let me see the mole." Master Wu implored his nephew to reveal the tiny blemish so he can see it with his own eyes that have witnessed many things.

The green ninja opened his gi and pulled down his golden undershirt just enough to show the mole. It was as black as ink, just as Koko told Wu the day he came home from school early. He didn't know the full story yet he can tell there was something very foreboding about it. It's impossible for human flesh to be pure black. In fact, there's only one person in the entirety of Ninjago with that skin tone and it's all because of…

"This is very troubling indeed..." Wu spoke.

"I don't get it. The doctors say I'm fine so what else could it be?" Lloyd interrupted.

"Perhaps they have found a previously undiscovered disease within your body." Zane suggested.

"You're probably overreacting," Cole gave his opinion, "A lot of people get new moles at some point in their lives."

"Lloyd, this may be a sign of… corruption." His uncle said grimly, completely with an ominous shadow over his face at the corruption part.

"Corruption…?"

"You are the son of Garmadon in more ways than one. What's hidden deep inside will find its way out, no matter how much you deny it."

"I'm not in denial over anything!"

"You sure about that?" Kai quipped, "You keep saying you're not a fan of N-Pop Girl when you have a bunch of her merchandise and -"

"I don't mean that kind of denial!" Lloyd was so riled up he didn't realize he gave away another one of his deepest and darkest secrets.

"That black spot may be a sign of something even bigger. Lloyd, did anything else happen around the time you got that 'mole'?" Wu interrogated his relative.

"Sometimes, I had this terrible chest pain..."

"And what caused it?"

"It always came up whenever I had these feelings."

"What kind?"

"It's generally whenever I'm feeling upset, jealous, or angry. At least more than usual."

"Those negative emotions are warping you into something else, just like it did with my brother a long time ago. It is not wrong to have those feelings but it's not healthy to let it control you. You must find the main reason you harbor dark thoughts before you lose yourself to them."

Lloyd recoiled in horror at the possibility of looking even more like his father. He already had the fangs and that was already more than enough evidence that he was a cursed spawn of the dark lord. He also mentally slapped himself for not realizing what that mole really was sooner.

'Am I really gonna end up like _him…_?' The thought alone filled the green ninja with dread and horror.

To become the very thing he hated and avoided to be…

"I think I need a moment to take this all in..." Lloyd said calmly before sauntering out of the stronghold and Zane detected footprints heading to the back of the building. Kai tried to follow but Cole and Nya stopped him, which was probably a good thing because they heard loud banging noises coming from where Lloyd is right now.

"He's taking this surprisingly well." Aria quipped.

"I'll say." Nya added.

"Then why is he making all that noise?" Jay asked.

"He'll be fine." Master Wu said flatly.

* * *

Building can be tough work but for Lloyd, it's his favorite method of stress relief. His chest didn't hurt anymore but that mole was still there. As long as he concentrates on his work, then there's nothing to worry about for the moment. He continued working on his Mech Dragon, specifically its programming so it won't misinterpret his commands or worse, snap and turn against the ninja.

"Turn right." He tested out the dragon's programming and almost immediately, the mechanical beast turned its head in the direction its creator ordered it to.

"Stay." He commanded again and took several steps backward and the dragon didn't follow. It almost reminded the green ninja of a dog, which he didn't mind. He would've liked to have a pet other Scales the goldfish his mother got for him last year but even if they could afford a dog or any other pet, their apartment doesn't allow any pets bigger than a guinea pig.

"Lloyd!" Heather and Aria's voices brought the green ninja out of his inner thoughts.

"What now?" He grumbled.

"We finally made our designs! Wanna see?" The orange kunoichi handed over some sketches to Lloyd.

Heather had a mech that reminded him of those tanks from the Galaxy Wars movies which he called 'robot camels'. From the looks of it, Heather's contraption could fold its legs in place of wheels. Looks like the kunoichi of nature prioritized mobility in all sorts of terrain, which was a smart move.

As for Aria, she also had a flying vessel but what made hers different from Jay's was the rotors on the wings and the large turbine below the cockpit. From the looks of it, the kunoichi of wind wanted her mechanism to show a strong affiliation with her element.

"These will do, I guess." He didn't find anything too debilitating with the kunoichi's ideas, much to the duo's relief.

"So you're gonna start working on it?" Heather asked.

"I'm already sprucing up my much and I also gotta work on the ones for Cole and Zane. I don't think I have time for this." The green ninja answered.

"I can lend a hand." Nya offered, "I already made plenty of progress with my mech so I can squeeze in some time to work on yours

"Thanks, Nya! You're the best!" Aria gushed over her friend's resourceful ways.

"When am I not?" The silver kunoichi bragged.

"Guess that only leaves Luna." Heather threw a brief glance at her oblivious teammate's direction.

"That is _if_ she even thinks of anything besides singing." The orange kunoichi scoffed.

"Aria!" The kunoichi of nature scolded her more impetuous companion.

"What? I don't see her do much besides training!"

"It's still too early to say things like that. Mind your own business and focus on training."

"Fine..."

* * *

Now it was Jay and Iris who were sent outside to learn more about one another. They headed for the hills just outside the city where they were treated to a scenic view of the bustling metropolis.

"Once again, thanks for getting that zhelezo ore." Iris showed her gratitude to her teammate for going as far as getting something so precious as the rare material for her sake.

"Uh, happy to be of service…?" The blue ninja still wasn't good at receiving praise and compliments.

"What kind of stuff do your parents make?"

"They make pretty much anything anyone can come up with."

"Such as…?"

"My mom spruced up the laundry machine by dividing it into sections, each one for a different color of clothing. That way, none of the clothes' colors get messed up. That's why this scarf is still bright orange after so many years." Jay gripped the orange cloth mostly hidden under his blue gi.

"That would be a pretty neat thing to have at home."

"But most of the people I tell about Mom's invention say it's ridiculous."

"What else do you make?"

"There was one time I tested out that glider. Let's just say it still needs some work." The lightning ninja cringed at the memory of flying through a couple of billboards. His back hurts just thinking about it.

"You also said your uncle works for an engineering company. I bet he also knows a thing or two about inventing stuff."

"I can't say his repertoire is the same as your parents but he's one of the smartest people I know when it comes to fixing things. Every time we had a problem with something like the TV or stove, he always manages to fix it. I guess it's a given because of his job."

"And I'm guessing you heard of zhelezo ore from him..."

"Wow, you took a shot in the dark but you're right."

"Whenever I talk with other people, I believe it's important to take in every word they say," The blue ninja said sheepishly, "You probably think that's such an uncool thing to do."

"Who cares?" Iris replied in a way Jay didn't expect, "Why should you worry about being cool? I mean, look at me! I wear Sweet Lolita clothing which isn't considered cool but I still wear them all the time!"

"But what about other girls calling you names or saying things behind your back?"

"Why should I care what other girls think? I'm not like other girls!"

Jay winced when the moment the kunoichi of metal boasted about being 'different'.

"Is something wrong?" Iris noticed how the lightning ninja looked like he just saw a splatter movie.

"N-nothing..." He couldn't bring himself to admit his discomfort over her… choice of words.

"You better not be lying."

"Like I mentioned before, I guess you and your uncle get along pretty well."

"Yeah. He was always there for me since I was a little girl..."

Remembering how Iris reacted when he mentioned Almaz, Jay didn't want to say it aloud and opted to find a different topic.

"Anyway, ever thought of becoming an inventor?" He asked.

The kunoichi of metal gave her teammate a quizzical look but said nothing before moving on. The blue ninja felt even more awkward. He always had his way of giving off a weird impression no matter how hard he tried to make himself presentable.

But was it because he keeps trying too hard?

'Nah.' Jay dismissed the thought. A lot of people found success from trying hard so why can't he?

* * *

Heather and Zane were done with their jobs and were barely out of their workplaces for one minute when they bumped into each other. Literally.

"I am sorry. Allow me to assist you." Zane offered to help his teammate up.

"It's alright, really." Heather got up on her own.

The flower-loving teen found it almost funny how often she now hanged out with the android.

"Guess we have some time to ourselves," She started, "What would you like to do?"

"Perhaps you would like to visit my home before we start training?" Zane offered.

"I think I can squeeze in some time."

"I am afraid that is impossible. Time is an intangible concept and part of the natural law and order."

The kunoichi of nature merely giggled at the naive robot's remark. The white ninja on the other hand had no idea why she laughed. All he did was describe the laws of this world and there was no source of comedy where they stood. Still, seeing her happy made him happy too and his father may also like to meet her.

"I am home, Father." Zane greeted his parent once they arrived at the affluent apartment.

"Welcome back. I see you've invited another friend." Dr. Julien was quick to notice the young woman he never met before standing next to his son.

"Father, this is Heather Stuart. She is a classmate and our locations of profession are fairly close to one another, which is why we meet up so often outside of school." The android introduced the kunoichi of nature to his father.

"Hello." Heather politely greeted the elderly engineer.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Dr. Julien greeted back, "I'm so happy to know my son is making friends. Go on, make yourself at home."

"Allow me to give you a detailed look at our apartment." Zane offered to show his friend his abode.

Heather noticed that every room had some sort of gadget or mechanical contraption which was to be expected for the home of one of the greatest engineers in Ninjago City. Only one caught the kunoichi of nature's eye in particular, probably because Zane was somehow able to communicate with it, even understanding its beeps.

"Yes, Mom." The android spoke to it and Heather quickly realized what that machine really is.

"So this the 'Mom' you've been talking about..." Heather peered at the computer.

"Yes. Mom, this is Heather Stuart." The ice ninja introduced the human girl to the machine much like how he would if Mom was an actual person.

Mom emitted a bright blue light that scanned Heather's face and let out several beeping sounds. She still had no idea what it 'said' but the white ninja was more than willing to translate for her.

"Mom has your identity saved in her files so you will always be recognized whenever you come here." He explained the computer's actions to her before continuing their little tour.

"And this is my room." Zane concluded with his bedroom. With only a simple bed and a desk, Heather can tell he only cared about having the absolute necessities for himself.

"It's… humble..." She tried to come up with a polite way to point out his frugality with self-care.

"Now that you have seen my home, why not settle down and I will prepare something to eat?" The ice ninja suggested.

"As much as I'd love to, we don't have time. You know..." Heather threw a quick glance at the clock.

"That reminds me," Dr. Julien said almost suddenly, "You have those study sessions around this time."

"I do," Zane kept his oath of secrecy, even if it meant lying to his parent, "Shall we go, Heather?"

"Of course."

"Take care." Dr. Julien saw off his son and his friend.

Once the pair were outside, Heather was quick to think of a way to repay Zane's kindness.

"Zane..." The teal kunoichi finally started to speak.

"Yes?" The polite robot listened.

"Since you invited me to your home, how about I show you mine next time?" She suggested.

"It will be an incredible honor." Zane responded with a smile that left Heather awestruck.

It wasn't just his odd mannerisms but also his strange beauty that made the ice ninja stand out and it wasn't just physical beauty. He was possibly the sweetest person in Ninjago City and Heather felt very lucky to have him for a friend and was glad she gave him a chance.

But little does she know those feelings may be put to the test…

* * *

 **Hoo boy, a lot of stuff is going on in the ninja's lives.**

 **Side note, I also don't approve of girls saying what Iris said. As someone who used to say that, girls who believe that really rubs me the wrong way. But it's all part of Iris' character. She has both good & bad traits like all characters should.**

 **Anyway, please review!**


	56. Leeroy Jenkins

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another day, another update. Lloyd's concerned with his 'mole', the ninja continue interacting with one another but here, a new change awaits them. We're only starting to delve deeper into the story so please be patient & read on.**

* * *

Chapter 55: Leeroy Jenkins

Luna opted to skip lunch today to focus on designing her mech at the school's library. With everyone else having submitted their ideas, she's now the only one who doesn't even possess a specific design in mind. If there's one thing she hated, it's being left behind but it seems that she's perpetually stuck in the back, struggling to keep up.

At least the kunoichi of sound wasn't alone. Because consuming food wasn't mandatory for him, Zane offered to help his teammate design her mech instead of staying with the others for lunch.

"I still don't know what to go for," Luna sighed with exasperation, "Everyone else were able to create a cool and unique design but I can't."

"Do not deem yourself as a failure so quickly. Designing a mechanical construct often takes time." Zane consoled her.

"But I've been taking a much longer time than the rest of you. I'm probably dragging you down."

"That is not true. We all make progress faster or slower in different areas of expertise."

"Like what?"

"Jay makes progress more quickly with constructing his mech than he does with mastering the art of combat and you could say Cole is the opposite."

"I guess that's understandable… but I don't seem to be making any progress at all anywhere..."

"That is not true. I observed the way you all fight and your fighting style shows that you have learned a lot about using the sai ever since we started training with our weapons."

"You've been watching us the whole time?"

Zane simply nodded to answer Luna's question.

"That's… kinda creepy..." The kunoichi of sound squirmed a little.

"Is there something wrong with observing people?" The android tilted his head like a naive child.

"Not at all. I guess the way you said it put me off."

"So you will not want me to help you?"

"No! I-I mean, I don't want you _not_ helping me…! What I'm trying to say is… Damn!" Luna fell over and her head landed on the table with a loud bang. Only then did the school librarian shushed her.

Zane sensed Luna's rising stress level but he still felt compelled to assist her in any way he can. It was an integral part of his programming.

"Do not be so disheartened so easily," He still tried to console her, "It is not necessarily a bad thing to take your time designing a mechanical contraption. Even my father had a hard time coming up with his inventions from time to time. In fact, it took him many months to finalize my physical appearance."

"But he's not in the same situation. He had all the time in the world to build you while I'm stuck trying to even think about what my mech looks like while Garmadon is doing who knows what as we speak."

Garmadon let out a loud sneeze while eating his lunch which was a big plate of condensed evil. He had no idea what was going on. He wasn't sick and none of his servants were talking shit about him behind his back since it's already banned in his volcano base. Someone in the city was probably talking about the dark lord, which he didn't mind… much…

"With the estimated time limit before a theoretical large-scale attack by Lord Garmadon commences, you will have five days to finalize your mech." Zane estimated the time his teammate had left to come up with a design.

"Five days!?" Luna exclaimed, prompting the librarian to shush her again, "Five days isn't enough time to create a mech entirely from the get-go!" She repeated in a hushed tone.

"Perhaps it is better to design something with only the necessities in mind," Zane suggested, "You can see my designs as an example."

The ice ninja projected a 3D hologram from his ice blue optics to display the design he came up with for his Ice Tank. The model was not as intricate or detailed as some of the other mechs the other ninja already thought up of such as Cole and Nya's.

"With your element being sound, perhaps a sonar will be suitable." Zane suggested.

"Don't they only work on water?"

"Then perhaps a vessel built for nautical travel is best."

"I don't know. Nya already has that Water Strider."

"Both Jay and Aria's mechs are based on flight and most of our mechs are land bound but they are all unique. Your mech does not have to be the exact same as Nya's."

The warning bell interrupted the ninja's session.

"I will continue offering assistance at the hideout if that is what you want." The ice ninja still offered.

"Nah, you probably have better things to do." Luna brushed him off while packing up her stuff.

"I do have academic criteria and a job to attend to but I consider carrying out my duty to assist those in need to be the best course of action."

"Even someone like me?"

"That would be impossible," The purple kunoichi was almost disheartened until the robot continued, "There are no two humans who are exactly alike."

The kunoichi of sound almost corrected her teammate on what she really meant but decided against it. He may be a sweet person and she did appreciate that but with his naivete, maybe somebody else will do a better job informing him about understanding figures of speech...

* * *

It was now Kai and Aria's turn to go out on their own during training. Once they reached the outskirts of the city, they had two choices over where to go. There was the coastline beyond Ninjago City or the bamboo forest.

"We should go this way!" Aria pointed towards the shores outside Ninjago City.

"Who died and made you leader!?" Kai scoffed.

"I'm not being a leader! I'm just making a suggestion!" The olive-skinned girl retorted.

"Well I want to go _this_ way!" Her teammate pointed at the path leading to the bamboo forest.

"We've been there a million times already!" Aria complained, "Come on, Kai! I thought you said you're always up for something new!"

"Yeah! But I don't mean going to the beach all of a sudden!"

"What do you have against going to the beach!? Kai, stop being such a jerk and let's go!"

"I said no!"

"Too bad! We're still going!" Aria yanked Kai's arm but she didn't expect what happened next.

"NO!" The fire ninja let out a shrill yelp, stopping the orange kunoichi in her tracks.

The kunoichi of wind was too stunned to say anything for several moments before it became clear to her why the hothead of a ninja seemed adamant on avoiding the beach.

"Kai, don't tell me… you're afraid of water…?" She asked.

"Me!? Scared of _water_!? No way!" Kai answered like someone told him spicy food was gross, "I don't get scared of taking a shower or going out in the rain so of course I'm not scared of a little water!"

"If you're not scared, then I go to the beach yourself!" Aria challenged her hot-blooded teammate.

"Fine!" The fire ninja stomped towards the shore and when his feet was just inches away from where the waves meet the sands…

Kai whimpered like a puppy and ran away from the ripples when they seemingly closed in on him. He tried again once the waters ebbed, only to whine and run away again when the waves came back. Aria couldn't believe what she was seeing. Hinata Kai, already well-known in school for being hot-blooded and even intimidating if one was foolish enough to insult his friends or flirt with his sister in his sight, was cowering like a helpless baby over a little bit of water.

"Kai, just admit you're scared so we can go." Aria bluntly told the fire ninja.

"No I'm not!" He talked back like an impudent child.

Just when he said that, the waves came crawling back and brushed up against his feet. The hotheaded teen let out a piercing shriek

'Me without my phone...' Aria would've filmed the whole thing if it weren't for not one, not two, but three things that held her back even if she had her precious device with her.

One, Kai was clad in his ninja gi and could give away the Secret Ninja Force's secret identities.

Two, she remembered what Kai did to Nya when she recorded one of his not so stellar moments.

Three, Kai was already chasing after her like a starving lion who just spotted its prey after a week with no food. The orange kunoichi was pretty sure he would be swearing if he wasn't as pissed as he was. The fire ninja was so pissed he didn't even say anything cohesive, just a bunch of angry roars, growls, and gibberish but after what the kunoichi of wind just saw, it's still worth it.

* * *

Garmadon sat in his office without saying a single word. His servants correctly guessed he wanted to be alone and were as far away from him as possible. The dark lord's thoughts revolved entirely on the day he confronted Koko. He could never forget those words she said to him, especially after all those memories they made together and even going so far as to marry him. He should've known better than to let his hormones get in the way of what was really important to him.

The dark lord took out a small photo he never showed to anyone. Memories replayed in his psyche as he stared at the photo of him and Koko on their wedding day. Garmadon knew he doomed himself to never feel such happiness ever again. He can't deny the dark desires within his heart and the proved to be far greater than the emotions that briefly distracted him from his goals. He could've had both his ambitions and someone who loved him but she made her choice.

'If she doesn't want her son to be happy, then so be it...' The dark lord's attention shifted to his plans on world domination.

The Secret Ninja Force haven't shown up much as of late but that doesn't necessarily mean they're up to something. On the other hand, he never let his Shark Army let a single minute go to waste. He had them spend every last minute helping him get one step closer to his goals, even with something small and simple like fetching him some items. In fact, the small group he dispatched into the woods should be back by now.

If they don't get here soon, he'll have a special surprise waiting for them...

* * *

Some of Garmadon's Shark Army underlings wandered into the bamboo forests to gather materials to fuel the fires of hatred to match his office's volcano aesthetics. Even for such a simple underwhelming task, the dark lord still demanded nothing less than absolute perfection from them, even threatening to punish them if anything goes wrong.

"I think I hear something..." One of the goons stopped and listened to faraway whispers.

"Of course! We're in the wild and there's always a bunch of animals making noises and stuff like that!" General #1 brushed them off.

"No. I mean… I can hear people talking..."

"What? Where's it coming from?"

"That way." The goon in his pufferfish helmet pointed towards their right.

The Shark Army crept towards the source of the voices as quietly as they could and it wasn't an easy task with the tall grass and greenery obstructing the entire path. They found themselves moving in an agonizingly sluggish pace but they didn't want the possibility of a promotion escape their grasp.

It was two of the ninja, specifically the fidgety blue ninja and the white ninja who may or may not be a robot. The Shark Army still kept their distance, even if they can't hear exactly what the two ninja were talking about. They could get closer to find out but they didn't want to risk being discovered.

"Should we attack them?" Some of the minions were tempted to ambush the ninja.

"Shut up!" Their pseudo-leader shushed them, "I can't hear a damn word they're saying!"

The Shark Army remained still and silent but they still can't make out what the ninja were saying. They could if they want to get closer but they were already taking a huge risk as it is. All they can do is try to stay as still as possible and strain their ears to hear what the ninja were talking about.

* * *

"...and I said 'Mom! This is exactly why you don't cook eggs in the microwave!' I thought she learned her lesson but she and Dad ended up making a microwave just for cooking eggs," Jay paused for a few moments before concluding his tale, "...It didn't end well."

"That was the longest story involving breakfast I have ever heard." The white ninja finally had time to speak after listening to his teammate ramble on about his family's adventures in the culinary arts.

"Then wait until I tell you about all my experiments with making dinner." The lightning ninja quipped.

Zane would've been just as eager to listen to another one of Jay's incredibly long stories but he sensed something or _someone_ not far from the vicinity.

"Is something wrong?" Jay noticed how Zane's eyes went from wide-eyed wonder to something cold and calculating like a predator out on the hunt for prey in an instant.

"We are not alone." The android said in a serious tone.

'Shit!' The Shark Army also noticed the shift in the white ninja's demeanor. He now looked like he was just about ready to spill some blood.

The two ninja took out their weapons and searched up and down their surroundings for anything that looked even the slightest bit out of place. The Shark Army could've made a run for it but doing so will make a lot of noise and give them away. On the other hand, Lady Luck might be smiling on them today and the ninja will miss them. And then there was the third option: take the ninja by surprise. As stupid as it may seem, the thought of all the rewards and promotions Lord Garmadon will give them if they succeed was very tempting for some of them.

"What the hell are you doing!?" One of the goons gaped with astonishment when one of them got up and lunged towards the enemies.

"I'm sick of waiting! I can't stand it anymore!" The underling shouted.

Jay and Zane continued their investigation until it was cut short by an outdated battle cry.

"LEEROY JENKINS!"

* * *

"What happened to you?" Cole asked once Jay and Zane returned from their trip out of the city. They were supposed to go out and learn about each other but they looked like they got in a huge fight with a horde of raging sumo wrestlers riding giant tigers that can spew bees from their mouths whenever they roared.

Don't ask.

Both ninja looked at each other and knew they must tell the truth.

"We were spotted by the Shark Army." Jay was the first to say something.

Before their teammates can start asking questions the ice ninja stepped in to explain the outcome.

"Jay and I managed to drive the enemies away because to the sixty percent chance of us being able to defeat them, which was sufficient." Zane added.

"You kicked some Shark Army ass and you didn't invite me!?" Kai seemed more indignant that Jay and Zane got to beat up some enemies without him than the fact that it even happened in the first place.

"I knew this was a bad idea." Lloyd muttered.

"Master Wu, maybe we shouldn't do this kind of session anymore." Heather suggested.

"No. This would've happened sooner or later. You will continue doing them." Master Wu spoke, much to his students' shock.

"But won't that put us at greater risk?" Aria was completely flabbergasted by his decision.

"You can't rely on others for everything. Just like in real life, terrible things can take you by surprise. It was only a matter of time before it got down to this.

"You knew this was going to happen!?" Nya exclaimed, "You knew you were putting us in danger and never told us!? How could you even consider yourself a teacher if all you're gonna do is sit back while your students have to do everything without a single word of guidance!?"

"The path of the ninja will only become more difficult the further down you go," Wu said, as cryptic as always, "You will also have to learn how to work together in every situation, including an ambush. You can never predict when or where the enemy strikes next. You'll have to learn how to handle different types of situations, including when you're taken by surprise."

"But there's no excuse for keeping secrets that could make a huge difference!" Kai also wasn't pleased by his mentor's secretive nature.

"This kind of confrontation was going to happen eventually. When you find out the truth won't make a difference in the long run."

"But the least you can do is to let us prepare for it, not let it take us by surprise!" Even Cole wasn't all too happy with Master Wu's methods.

"Life is already full of surprises, even for those who aren't ninja. Most of the time, things never go as planned. That is another lesson I have learned the hard way." Wu remained calm as ever.

"Just because you didn't have it easy doesn't mean you get to toy with us!" Aria complained "And that makes you no better than Lord Garmadon himself!"

Master Wu's response, or lack thereof, was more unnerving than anything to the ninja.

"Great. He finally snapped. Way to go, Aria." Iris quipped at the orange kunoichi.

"What did I do!?" The capricious girl hissed.

"You didn't do anything wrong. Perhaps I needed to hear what you just said." Her mentor answered.

"And what about the Shark Army?" Luna reminded him of what happened to Jay and Zane, "How will that help us to deal with them if they do it again?"

"We can just kick their asses," Kai cracked his knuckles, "I've been itching to fight them again."

"Easy there, bro." Nya rolled her eyes over her sibling's gung-ho attitude.

"I hate to say it but Master Wu has a point," Lloyd started, "We already face off with the Shark Army in every mission we've been on so far. There really isn't much of a difference."

"I guess that does make sense..." Luna eventually agreed.

"Let's just be grateful that Jay and Zane got lucky. We'll never know when or if the Shark Army will do something like that again." The green ninja concluded.

The ninja knew all they can do from this point forward was to keep training as usual as well as paying no heed to the faint rumbling echoes of Lord Garmadon's volcano lair erupting.

* * *

Lloyd inspected his appearance in the mirror before heading off for another day of ninja training. The 'mole' on his chest hasn't gotten any bigger nor did it go away. Along with the fangs he already had for some time, it only reminded him of the father he tried to differentiate from as much as possible. Next thing he knows, he'll probably get the red eyes to match.

'Stop thinking about these things,' He tried to shake off any thoughts of the dark lord, 'That's why you got that damn mole!'

The green ninja stilled stared at the black spot as if expecting it to grow or change even the slightest.

"Lloyd, please come out." Koko interrupted her son's inner dilemma by beckoning him to come out of the bathroom.

The retired warrior's maternal instincts immediately kicked in the moment her child finally emerged. She can tell Lloyd was thinking about his latest 'development' and what it could mean for him with the way he kept touching his chest and his emerald eyes often facing downward.

"Mom, do you think this… thing… is gonna turn me into a freak…?" Lloyd pawed his chest.

"Of course not," She quickly answered, "No matter what you look like, you are who you are."

"What if my entire skin turns black and I end up looking like… you know who..." The green-eyed pariah still kept his hand to his chest, which he's been doing a lot since he got the results from the doctor.

"It doesn't matter what your eye color is, how you style your hair, or even if you have birthmarks and moles on your face. Nothing will ever change who you really are on the inside and that's what matters more than anything else about you. You'll always be my precious baby boy." Koko embraced her child and showered him with kisses.

"That's what every mother says to her child." Lloyd squirmed, never being the type who's so easy on displays of affection, public or private.

"And it is my duty as a mother to love and support you, no matter what." His mother still caressed him with even more kisses, much to his annoyance.

"Mom, as much as I want to stay cooped up in here for the rest of my life, I gotta go." Lloyd glanced at the clock and can tell it was almost time for training.

"Oh… then have fun and please stay safe." Koko saw him off without questioning anything.

Lloyd sometimes felt that there must be a reason why his mother bought his alibi so quickly. Besides her marriage to Garmadon, she never talked much about _her_ past. It was more than a little suspicious but he didn't have much time to question it and he knew it'll be pointless to ask Wu.

Maybe it's one of the many answers he seeks as a ninja…

* * *

 **And that's it for this chapter.**

 **Side note, I also have a poll for my newest story ideas so check it out if you have time. As always, stay tuned as the plot continues to unravel & more secrets will be unearthed.**


	57. Master of Buzzkill

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Once again, there's not much for this chapter except the ninja still interacting with each other.**

 **But that's not all. The seeds of internal conflict might be sown in this chapter so read on to find out.**

* * *

Chapter 56: Master of Buzzkill

Of all the people Master Wu had to pair up for today's outdoor session, he just had to choose Kai and Nya. They were the only siblings in the team and already know everything about one another.

"I don't understand why Master Wu paired us up!" Kai kicked the ground indignantly.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Nya responded. She also didn't understand why their teacher paired them up but at least she wasn't being infantile about it.

The siblings trudged through the grasslands just outside of the city.

"Now that the Shark Army knows we're doing this, I kinda want them to come. At least they would've given us something productive to do." The fire ninja ranted.

"For once, I agree with you."

It took the hothead a full minute to realize what his sister was really getting at, which was also a new record as the silver kunoichi mentally noted.

"Are you saying I'm boring!?" He let his temper fly though Nya didn't flinch one bit.

"No. I'm saying you need a personality to match that anime protagonist hair." She deadpanned.

"Hey! I'll have you know it took me a year to perfect my look!"

"Good, now tell me something I don't know."

Another moment of awkward silence loomed over the siblings. They didn't bring their weapons with them so there was nothing for them to do but talk. Too bad they had no idea where to start.

"Uh… listen to anything good lately…?" Kai tried to start a different conversation.

"Are you serious?" Nya narrowed her eyes in annoyance, "Is _that_ all you can come up with?"

"It's not like we don't see each other twenty-four seven! Why did Master Wu pick _us_ for this! This is a stupid idea!"

"For once, I agree. I bet the others are laughing behind our backs..."

* * *

The Secret Ninja Force still kept up with their training duels, even while the Hinata siblings were gone. Lloyd gave an experimental swing of his sword before the opponent his uncle chose for him arrived to face him. Turns out his adversary was none other than Iris. The pink kunoichi may have a sword as well but it wasn't the exact same. Lloyd's blade was more broad with a slight curve while Iris' was straight and a bit on the slender side along with a shield unique to her.

"And begin!" Master Wu started the match.

Unlike some of her teammates, Iris didn't have the patience to waste precious seconds making circles around her opponent. She charged at Lloyd with her sword the moment their duel commenced. The green ninja barely managed to block her attack with his own sword. Lloyd knew if he tries to strike Iris with his weapon, she won't hesitate to use her shield and he saw her use it as a weapon in of itself so he'll have to come up with something new if he wants to come out as the victor.

Lloyd leaped up with his sword above him and Iris instinctively raised her shield…

And that was exactly what the green ninja was expecting.

He swooped down but didn't strike down the pink kunoichi. She had very little time to react when her opponent moved to the side and landed a hit at her side. Iris rolled over the ground in pain, knowing she should be grateful that Lloyd didn't actually use the blade itself to attack or things could've gotten ugly really fast. The green ninja only jabbed her side with the hilt of his sword but it still hurt like a -

"Is that your best shot?" The kunoichi of metal grunted, egging on her adversary.

"No, but I'm working on it!" The green ninja boasted and swooped in for another attack.

This time, Iris stopped him with her shield. Literally.

Lloyd cursed his idiocy and now his legs were hurting from being bashed by the heavy chunk of metal. Both ninja swung their swords and the blades met with a strong glint of light and a loud clang. Being sword wielders, the first thing they could think of was using their swords but it wasn't the only move they used in combat. Lloyd wasn't above fighting with his own fists and once again, Iris would use her shield as a secondary weapon.

"That's enough!" Master Wu ended the match.

"Guess you always have a trick or two up your sleeve." Iris remarked while Lloyd helped her up.

"You weren't bad either." The green ninja commended his teammate's skills in turn.

While the pair did good in each other's eyes, the experienced Master Wu was not so easily impressed.

"Iris, there are other ways for the enemy to attack. You can't expect the same thing or else your skills will stagnate and you won't be able to make any progress." The old man warned her.

"Didn't you see me back there?" Iris exclaimed, "I used up every kind of move I could think of!"

"And you have done that in every training session and battle," Wu countered his student's complaint, "And the same goes for you, Lloyd. You still have much more to learn before becoming a master of the sword. Both of you have made quite a bit of progress between now and the time you joined the Secret Ninja Force but you're still far from becoming masters of the way of the ninja. Focus on your training until you reach your full potential."

"Guess Wu deserves to be called 'Master'… He's the master of buzzkill." Iris whispered once her Wu's was turned eliciting a snicker from Lloyd.

"Oh, and while you're at it, you should put all the equipment away and clean up the place and I mean just the two of you." The old mentor added. He didn't even need to see the pair's faces to know they were absolutely priceless judging from the raucous guffaws from the other ninja.

* * *

Being as much of a tinkerer as his parents, one of Jay's favorite haunts in the city was the Octan Auto Shop where he can find any kind of tool and equipment imaginable. It was an inventor's dream come true, at least to him. The Walkers stopped by the place to pick up some stuff they might need for their daily ventures into the world of inventing. Jay couldn't help himself and grabbed several boxes full of tools. Unfortunately, even after all the training he did as a ninja, he was just as strong as he looked and he was _tiny_. The boxes wobbled in the short teen's hands while he struggled to find his balance. Good thing there was someone to help him hold the boxes and the blue ninja was able to regain his footing without dropping anything.

"Thank you!" Jay was grateful for the extra help.

"No prob." A familiar voice responded and the blue ninja froze on the spot. If that wasn't enough, the loud rock music blaring from the radio next to him gave away the stranger's identity.

'Cole…!' The timid teen was surprised upon seeing the face of his savior.

The muscular teen stared at his teammate a several moments without a work spoken between them and the only noise surrounding the pair was Cole's radio blasting rock music at max volume.

"Do I have something on my face?" The oblivious earth ninja finally asked.

"N-no..." Jay walked off but only took several steps before he remembered something.

"Wait! What are you doing here?" The lightning ninja whipped around and thankfully didn't drop any of the boxes.

"I didn't have anything better to do." The black ninja shrugged nonchalantly.

'Does he ever?' Jay thought to himself.

"Jay!"

'Oh no...' The lightning ninja didn't want his parents embarrassing him, especially in front of Cole.

"Who is this young fellow?" Ed glanced at the dark-skinned teen next to his child.

"Is he a friend of yours, Jay?" Edna saw her son talking with another teen outside of school, which was very unusual.

"I guess you can say that..." The lightning ninja answered.

"Why don't you come on over? We _love_ having guests at our home!" Ed invited Cole to his home.

"Dad!" Jay whined.

"Sure thing." The black ninja accepted the Walkers' offer.

And poor Jay felt his whole world come crashing down.

Once Cole finds out about his personal life, he'll probably tell the whole school and his social life will come to an end. Everyone who picked on the timid teen will mock and laugh at him much more than they already do. Even the ninja will start to ridicule him.

'What would Nya think?' Jay felt his heart drop at the thought of _Nya_ looking down on him.

"Is that what you're really like? I don't even want to be seen next to you, you little freak!" Nya stared at the little nerd wearing an expression of pure disgust and walked out on him. Jay tried to go after her but he was stuck in one place, even as he ran as fast as his legs can carry him. Nya only walked further and further away from him. No matter how much he cried out to her, she didn't even turn her head or say anything. Soon, she was out of his sight, leaving the blue ninja alone in the dark void.

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!" Poor Jay wailed in despair.

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!" And he cried again, this time in the midst of reality and not his personal bubble of delusions and nightmares.

Jay discovered he and his parents were already home… and Cole had joined them.

"...and that's the last time I'll be playing mini golf for a long time." Ed finished another one of his super long stories while Cole listened with intrigue.

The blue ninja sank as far into his seat as possible. He had no idea how it all happened. One moment, he met up with Cole at the auto shop and the next, he was back home and somehow, the black ninja followed him and his parents.

"Jay, I almost thought you fell asleep," Edna spoke to him, "You became awfully quiet since we invited your friend over. What was your name again? Cookie? Coke? Or..."

"It's Cole." The muscular teen corrected the inventor.

The poor nerd was sure this was the worst day of his life outside of school. His parents can talk about nothing but embarrassing stories for days on end. He couldn't stand to be in the same room as them and Cole right now. Without saying a word, the lightning ninja stepped out of the house, confusing his parents and teammate.

"What's up with him being so gloomy all of a sudden?" Ed couldn't figure out why his son was acting so strange for no reason.

"I'll go talk to him." Edna got up to confront her son.

"No. Let me handle this." Much to the Walker couple's surprise, their guest went to deal with their son like he knew him just as much as them.

It didn't take long for Cole to find Jay standing just a couple of feet away from his little house.

"Parents can be a pain, am I right?" The earth ninja asked and was slightly amused by the little flinch the lightning ninja gave out.

"Y-yeah..." Jay said once he caught his breath.

"Don't worry. I know what it's like being embarrassed by your own family."

"You do…?"

For some reason, Cole didn't answer. Jay would've thought the strong teen was merely messing with him if not for the tiny hint of anger in his earthy green eyes.

"Uh… is something going on between you and your parents…?" The blue ninja asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it." His teammate mumbled.

Cole was normally a somewhat quiet person yet Jay can tell his reaction was not normal. The relaxed ninja was never explicitly hostile and from what he heard from Lloyd, he doesn't get along that great with his father. As for his mother… he never talked about her. Jay felt curiosity grow in his psyche but he had a feeling nothing good will come out of asking the earth ninja about his mother.

"I should get going," The black ninja spoke almost so suddenly, "We gotta go to the hideout soon and you wouldn't want me causing you any trouble."

The blue ninja tried to respond but all that came out of his mouth were a bunch of stutters.

At least he was able to survive this encounter...

* * *

Zane wandered through Ninjago City as he often does when he isn't at school, the cafe, or at the ninja hideout. He didn't have nearly half the time to do what he wanted before getting a job or even joining the Secret Ninja Force. Yet somehow, these restrictions only made him even more thankful to have the time to just enjoy himself. He didn't understand why but all he knew was that these grateful feelings dwelled within his heart, that is if he even has one and it's not the organ he's thinking about.

And there's also the fact that he can sense someone sneaking up on him from behind.

Zane rotated his head in a complete one-eighty and the would-be assailant screamed at the disturbing sight. The android had his trademark unnatural smile which only made it even worse.

"Greetings, Aria." The white ninja recognized his teammate.

"Zane, you should turn your head around before someone might call the cops." Aria stated and the ice ninja turned his head around though the sounds of the gears whirring inside him were still unnerving.

"What brings you here in the middle of the city at a time like this?" The robot asked once his head was properly aligned.

"I could be asking you the same thing." Aria quipped back.

"Is that vest the only thing you ever wear?"

"I am also wearing a shirt and pants."

"That's not the point. You need some variety but it's a good thing you're hanging out with me, right?" The kunoichi of wind boasted.

Zane remembered something Heather told him about Aria and allowed time for a tiny flashback.

"If you ever find yourself with just Aria for company, there's just one thing you must be prepared for." Heather told the android from the thought bubble that popped up next to his head.

"And that is…?" Zane asked, goading the flower-loving teen to continue.

"I already told you but fine," The kunoichi of nature sighed but complied, "Good luck trying to survive the biggest shopping spree of your life. If you manage to survive at least six stores,

"Shoo! Get out of here!" The kunoichi of wind swatted at the thought bubble until it disappeared.

Aria ended up dragging Zane into the Ninjago City Mall to do what she loves most. The pair visited just about every clothing outlet imaginable and the ice ninja learned that there were many brands he had no knowledge of before his encounter with Aria. Even if she was the one who roped him into this, the kunoichi of wind still gave the humanoid a chance to pick out his own clothes though she was quick to notice that he, more often than not, picked anything white, from coats to socks.

"Just because your ninja color is white doesn't mean you only have to wear white clothes." Aria spoke while browsing through their seventh store. Anyone who shops with her without losing their patience can't possibly be human but then again, Zane isn't human.

The white ninja held up an ice blue shirt to disprove her point.

"And that too," The olive-skinned girl added, "Your clothes don't have to match your element either."

"I did not have my duty as a ninja in mind when picking out articles of clothing. I have always held an affinity for the color white and pale colors in general, particularly blue." Zane replied.

"I guess we all have our favorites with everything." Aria shrugged off the android's answer.

"Is there anything else you like to do in the mall outside of shopping?"

"I also like to just see the world go by and find anything that might be interesting."

"Such as…?"

"There's also a bunch of places that sell neat things like toys and gifts."

"Would you like to see them?"

"I'm good. Besides, I'm starting to work up a bit of an appetite. Good thing there's a bunch of places to get a bite to eat, too. I also like to try new things when it comes to food."

"You are always welcome to the Petite Corner whenever you are in need of sating your hunger." Zane offered to take her to the cafe.

"But there's a new bakery that just opened! I wanna try it!" The kunoichi of wind pointed at the map and dragged the android yet again to one of the mall's newest establishments.

The Gaya bakery was small but seemed well-liked by the locals. Once again, it was Aria who led Zane while stocking up on some baked goods like melon bread and cream puffs. While the consumption of food was merely optional for the android, he did enjoy experiencing the variety of flavors humans get to indulge in while sustaining themselves with energy and nutrition. It was such a privilege to be able to feel such pleasure from eating something delicious while also replenishing oneself. The white ninja settled on a mixed berry pastry and a cream cheese tart.

"Don't worry, this will be my treat." Aria stepped up to pay for their snacks.

"That will be sixteen dollars." The cashier summed up the price for all the stuff they chose.

The orange kunoichi swiped her card and it was at that moment her whole day was ruined.

"Sorry, but you're three dollars short." The cashier shook his head in disappointment.

Aria's heart shattered into millions of tiny pieces when she discovered she didn't have enough money left. This wasn't the first time something like this happened but it was always so gut-wrenching every single time.

"Do not be sad. I have enough money to pay for your food." Zane stepped in with his credit card. The kunoichi of wind can practically hear angels singing 'Hallelujah' as he paid for not just the baked goods he chose but Aria's as well.

"Zane, you're the best! You're like the perfect guy to have around! I guess it comes from being a robot but still!" The orange kunoichi gushed, unaware of the humanoid's true feelings.

Zane's amiable expression rapidly shifted into a frown. He wanted to receive compliments for being a person and not being a machine, even if he knew his companion meant well.

"Did I say something wrong?" Aria noticed her teammate's downtrodden expression.

"It is nothing to worry about," The white ninja didn't want to be selfish by wallowing in his emotions, if that's what he's feeling, "I am simply happy to help anyone in need."

Ignoring these feelings of being unappreciated, Zane can't deny his purpose of helping others.

'Or is it something I want to do regardless of my origins?' He asked himself, what little good that did...

* * *

The ninja watched today's breaking news of the Shark Army's latest attack on Ninjago City.

"You know the drill." Master Wu said dryly.

"Judging from the Shark Army's numbers, not all of us will have to go." Cole went straight to planning a strategy for today's mission.

"I'll go!" Kai was quick to volunteer, "I've been itching for a fight!"

"Easy there, fireball." Lloyd said dryly.

"Other than Lloyd, I think at least Cole and Luna should go. Their way of fighting is defense oriented." Aria suggested.

The kunoichi of sound's face turned beet red but she seemed to comply.

"And judging from the Shark Army being at the plaza, Heather and Jay should go too." Iris added.

"Sounds like a plan!" The kunoichi of nature got up, "Now let's go!"

* * *

The small group arrived at the city where the Shark Army kept bothering everyone as they usually do.

"This ends here, right now!" The green ninja confronted the dark lord's lackeys.

"You already lost your spark," General #1 boasted, "We all know you train outside -"

"Ninja go!" The ninja charged towards their enemies and the real fighting began.

Many days of arduous training showed in their skills. The Shark Army always seem to forget that their adversaries aren't some miracle workers who were born being able to fight and not have to train.

Before the bad guys knew it, the ninja kicked their asses and everyone, including the civilians, knew it.

"The green ninja saved the day!" Everyone cheered for the ninja leader, leaving the others in the dust.

"Hey! This was a team effort!" The teal kunoichi pointed out.

The locals fell silent, as if remembering the Secret Ninja Force was a team, not just one person but...

"The green ninja saved the day!" The crowd praised only the ninja leader again.

Lloyd wasn't sure how to react at the locals making it all about him. He can't say he disliked having all the attention without it being the negative sort but it isn't why he became a ninja nor did he ever like being the center of attention at all.

"Come on guys, we gotta go." He beckoned his teammates to follow him back to the warehouse. The green ninja was aware some of his teammates were mad at him for taking all the attention. It wasn't like he was an attention whore or something. If anything, that's the exact opposite of who he is.

Looks like being pitted against his father won't be the only problem he'll be facing as a ninja…

* * *

 **Yeah, I wasn't too happy with the movie being all about Lloyd & completely forgetting the rest of the ninja. He already gets way too much attention in the show. But I do have plans based on this. As always, please review, check out my poll if you have time, & I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	58. Fake Idols

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Once again, not much in this chapter but it'll focus on humor so that's something. Please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 57: Fake Idols

Luna gazed at the final design for her mech. It wasn't that extravagant but it wasn't all that impractical either and that was what made her decide on this design. It was a tank similar to Zane's but hers has its own differences. While Zane's Ice Tank possessed a large storage unit of freon cells, Luna's vehicle had a large speaker not unlike the woofers on Cole's mech. She also planned for it to hover over water and more rugged terrain with the anti-gravity engines at the bottom of the tank. Ninjago's technology has certainly come a long way since the end of the Warring Era.

"Are you satisfied with the results?" A robotic voice asked the kunoichi of sound.

Luna was aware that she would've never been able to come up with her own mech if it weren't for the ice ninja who devoted what time he had to help her. She couldn't be more grateful that he stuck with her to the very end.

"I guess so… but what about Lloyd? He can be very… critical... to say the least..." Luna answered.

"I do not think he is so quick to deem proposals for mechanical contraptions as unacceptable."

"You sure about that?"

The duo had a brief flashback of all the times their teammate tore apart the other ninja's early designs and calling them pathetic or stupid and generally being extremely harsh about it.

"I can only assume our fellow ninja has more meticulous expectations with mechanical contraptions." The ice ninja concluded once his memories were refreshed.

"Do you really think this is a good design?" Luna examined the blueprints yet again.

"It may not be primarily built for offense but it could make for an invaluable support mech." The white ninja concluded.

"Thank you, Zane. You really helped me out. I wouldn't know what to do without you."

"It is my pleasure."

Luna's heart was full of gratitude for her teammate who was an impossibly sweet person regardless of his origins. Anyone would be lucky to win his favor or even hook up with him.

'But who would want to hook up with an android?' The purple kunoichi asked herself, 'Zane's the only robot in Ninjago and there's not a lot of people who'll give him a chance. It's a shame. He's so kind and intelligent. Anyone would like him if they get to really know him. Maybe even...'

"Is something troubling you, Luna?" Zane was quick to notice his comrade's uneasy expression.

"It's nothing," She dismissed him, "We should get to class."

"Indeed..."

Zane wondered what it was that troubled the kunoichi of sound. She just finalized the designs for her mech so there shouldn't be anything for her to worry about besides the impending threat of the Shark Army and their dark overlord and the Secret Ninja Force were able to defeat them time and again. But once all of the mechs are completed, chances of Garmadon conquering Ninjago City will be reduced to at least thirty percent. Humans can think of completely different things at any given time. They can be so strange yet it doesn't make humanity any less captivating.

* * *

As always, the ninja sans Lloyd sat together during lunch. Once Nya arrived with her food, Jay realized the only seat left at their table was next to him. He could feel his hands go clammy with sweat and he tightened his scarf around his face.

Nya wasn't sure why Jay was always so spazzy whenever they were close. They were only sitting next to each other and it's just to eat another crappy school lunch together. There's nothing special about that. The lightning ninja was always a rather shy boy and as much as Nya found it endearing -

'Endearing…?' The silver kunoichi was stunned by her own opinion of her timid friend.

Sure, Jay was a cute little nerd and he does possess the most vibrant blue eyes she had ever seen but since when did the strong-willed girl care about looks?

But it wasn't the timid ninja's appearance that made the kunoichi of water consider him endearing. It could be the way he fumbles with his words and gets all excited with technology that gave him such a unique charm…

"So have you heard rumors of a Lady Iron Dragon movie coming out?" Nya heard Heather addressing her idol even when she was reminiscing over her own inner thoughts.

"LADY IRON DRAGON!?" The confident shouted louder than ever before though no one was surprised by her outburst. It's obvious how much Nya idolizes the storied warrior and Kai even had a somewhat jaded look on his face.

"You mean Lady Iron Dragon?" The kunoichi of water asked again, this time in a volume that was more acceptable in public though the other ninja can still see the excited sparkle in her light blue eyes.

"I'm surprised you haven't heard," Aria said, "There's talk going on about Wagner Bros thinking about making a movie based on the life of Lady Iron Dragon."

"Also, she wasn't the only famous warrior during the Warring Era," Cole added, "There were also the Elemental Masters, the Quiet One, Yang, and Jet Jack among many others."

"Those guys are cool too, but Lady Iron Dragon will always be my all-time favorite." Yet Nya still raved about her idol.

Meanwhile, Jay was both relieved yet ashamed at the same time.

First, with Nya's attention diverted to a different topic, he didn't have to worry about making a fool of himself in front of her.

But secondly, while he couldn't blame Nya for looking up to a badass role model like Lady Iron Dragon, it only reminded him of how pathetic he was compared to her and the other ninja.

"What do _you_ think?" A voice randomly spoke to him.

Jay stared back at Kai who seemed annoyed with him as he always does.

"Uh… what…?" The blue ninja had no idea what the hot-blooded teen was talking about, having been consumed by his own thoughts most of the time.

"I was wondering if you wear girls underwear." The fire ninja asked like it was perfectly normal asking such a question in public.

"WHAT!?" Jay's face was bright red and the other ninja could almost see steam coming out of his ears.

"Kai, stop messing with him." Cole coolly scolded his friend, but it was too late. Poor Jay was reduced to a stuttering wreck. It was hilarious yet sad at the same time.

"Jay, your vital stats have become unstable. Should I escort you to the clinic?" Zane asked but the blue ninja was still stuck in a state of perpetual anxiety.

Scratch that, now it's just sad...

* * *

Kai and Aria were back at the Hada de Azúcar trying more of their unique churros. Aria settled on the limited edition lemon and lime churros while Kai went for the dark chocolate churros filled with fresh and tangy raspberry jam.

"Anything interesting happening in your life?" Aria asked amidst bites of her sugary snack.

"Not right now," Kai shrugged, "Other than the Boltron TV special coming in a couple of months, there isn't much for me to look forward to."

"What about the mechs? They've been coming along nicely since we showed Lloyd the designs." This time, the olive-skinned girl whispered to avoid suspicious while talking about their secret lives.

"Yeah, that too! I can't wait to make takoyaki out of the Shark Army!" The oblivious fire ninja boasted in his usually loud voice.

"Kai, I don't know what yucky tacos have to do with this but you need to keep it down!" Now Aria was suddenly trying to shush him.

"And then what? Sit back and let Garmadon have his way?"

"I know you're like a hot-blooded anime protagonist but it's still too early to be the reckless one!"

Aria glanced at the other people surrounding the food card staring at Kai. He must think of something quick or else locals will start putting the puzzle pieces together.

"Yeah… that's what I would do… if I was the red ninja… who I am definitely not..." The fiery young man added awkwardly. His teammate can do nothing but facepalm out of embarrassment _for_ him. Even to this day, she wonders how Nya remains sane having him as family.

"As I was saying," The kunoichi of wind changed the subject before things get ugly, "There's probably other things going on in your life."

"My life is not your entertainment and I should be asking you the same." Kai talked back at her.

"Nothing's going on with my life. That's why I was asking in the first place."

"There's other ways to entertain yourself besides shopping and fashion."

"That's not all I do. I'm here eating churros when I could be doing that right now."

"Don't even think about it." Kai didn't like the look on her face and he didn't want to get dragged into her notoriously long shopping sprees.

"I got an idea!" Aria exclaimed, ignorant of her teammate's feelings, "We could go to the park! I heard there's a talent show going on! It could be interesting!"

Before Kai could have any say over it, the kunoichi of wind already started dashing towards the park. The fire ninja still mentally sighed in relief. At least they won't be cooped up in the mall all day long.

* * *

Iris watched with the other ninja and Master Wu as Lloyd took another test run on his Mech Dragon. The green ninja remained cautious as he activated the controls on the mechanical beast. There's still the possibility of it going haywire and none of the ninja, especially Lloyd, didn't want that. The green optics of the dragon lit up and the ninja can hear the sound of gears working from within its form.

The dragon slowly lowered its head towards Wu, who remained stoic as ever before the large beast.

Throughout the demonstration, Iris thought of the possibilities her own animal-like contraption could do. As a wolf, it definitely won't be able to fly as Lloyd plans to for his dragon and it could fight on its own with its claws and fangs instead of the missiles the green ninja was also installing into his mech. Well, besides the large laser cannon but it'll be quite some time before construction is completed.

Meanwhile, the dragon walked all around the warehouse with Lloyd on its back like a horse during an equestrian show, which made it look almost funny.

"I thought you said you're planning on making it fly." Nya pointed out.

"Nya, we're called the _Secret_ Ninja Force and I'm still working on my Mech Dragon's programming. You do the math." The green ninja replied flatly.

Nya hated to admit it but Lloyd got her there. He continued testing out his mech and as of now, it was perfectly stable despite him playing it safe.

"What do you think?" Lloyd asked once the test run was done and deactivated the Mech Dragon.

"So far so good." Cole remained as calm as ever.

"When do you think it'll be ready to go out on missions?" Aria asked.

"Once I can get it to fly without it going berserk." The green ninja's answer was as deadpan as ever.

"And how are the other mechs going?" Kai joined in with the questions.

'They're not stupid question, Lloyd,' The young leader reminded himself while his patience was going down the drain, 'They're just stupid people.'

"They still need some time..." He answered, his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly.

The ninja's gaze lingered on the other mechs whose construction has yet to be completed.

Time will tell if they'll work properly and save Ninjago...

* * *

Cole and Heather strolled through the forest for their solo training session. Befitting her element, the teal kunoichi would occasionally stop to admire any flower she saw. The black ninja was understanding at first, given his own love for all kinds of music, but even he found it aggravating having to stop every couple of minutes for his comrade to admire a bunch of plants like basic bitches with viral cat videos.

"Heather, we won't be making any real progress if all you're gonna do is smell flowers." Cole started.

"But I'm always drawn to them," The brunette didn't budge from her spot in front of some gentians, "I don't exactly know how to explain it but it's like each and every one of them are unique like people..."

"There are much more important things to focus on besides flowers," Cole said rather rudely "We're not safe anywhere anymore. Not since the Shark Army knows we do this sort of stuff and Master Wu still makes us go out."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to give up on what I like."

"But that doesn't mean you can forget the big stuff. You have time to admire flowers later."

"Okay, fine. I'm not a perfect kunoichi but -" Heather spoke but Cole raised a hand to silence her.

"What's the meaning of -" She tried talking again but her teammate stopped her again.

"I hear something..." The black ninja's expression turned serious and his companion got the message.

Both ninja assumed a fighting stance and brandished their weapons. Rustling leaves continued to echo in the forest but it didn't obscure the sound of their breaths and heartbeats. The tiny shuffling sounds crept ever closer to the ninja and they could see one of the bushes shaking like it's hiding something.

A squirrel popped out from the bushes, blissfully unaware of the humans' presence. The small critter scoured the ground for food for a moment before retreating back into the wilderness. The earth ninja and kunoichi of nature stared dumbfounded at where they saw the innocent creature long after it left in utter silence but it wasn't long until the latter found her voice.

"You got us all worked up over a rodent…?" Heather narrowed her eyes in annoyance towards Cole.

"It still could've been the Shark Army," The earth ninja brushed off her vexation, "We can't pass up the risk of us being ambushed or even have our identities discovered."

"Now what do we do?"

"We should play it safe and head back. Heather, are you ready?" Cole only walked a few steps before realizing his teammate wasn't following him. He sighed when he discovered her kneeling before some more flowers, this time, observing a tiny patch of marguerites.

As annoying as it is, Cole knew this was just a part of who Heather was and he had to accept that. He was the same when it comes to music though he remained just as aware of the really important stuff and if he wanted to be accepted for that, then the least he can do for his teammate is to do the same.

"Heather, there's more flowers to look at later. We gotta go." Cole grabbed her arm and started pulling her away from the plants and back to the city.

The kunoichi of nature sighed but relented. Even if her teammate was right, not even she had any love for party poopers.

* * *

Iris primped and preened herself for several minutes in front of the mirror, wearing a light blue dress with little bows on the skirt and puffed sleeves while her hair was fastened into twin ponytails with a pair of matching ribbons with lace. Even if she and Karloff were just going out to eat, the girly kunoichi still wanted to look her cutest.

"Iris, are you done?" Her uncle knocked on her door but was as patient as always.

"I'm ready!" Once double-checking that not one hair was out of place, she was ready for the evening.

The Almaz natives decided to try the new French restaurant 'Festin des Merveilles' for tonight. Since Iris got a one hundred percent on her physics exam Karloff thought it's a good cause for a celebration. Other people waiting at the front stared at the tiny girl in a tooth-rottingly adorable dress and the big burly man who was apparently her guardian but they knew better than to care what others think.

"Mr. Kuznetsov, right this way." One of the waiters escorted the relatives to their table and when they got there...

"Oh god, not this again..." The teen sitting next to them groaned.

"That's not very polite." His parent gently chastised him.

If you guessed it was Lloyd and his mother, then congrats. Here's the prize: more story.

"Good to see you, too." Iris greeted her teammate in a flat tone.

Meanwhile Karloff and Koko seemed to recognize each other than they began chatting like there's no tomorrow, much to the teens' confusion. While Lloyd and Iris were surprised to bump into each other outside of school and training, they were more shocked to see their guardians acting like old friends.

"Uncle, is something going on between you and Mrs. Garmadon?" Iris finally asked.

"Of course!" Koko answered for the pink kunoichi's uncle, "We've met several times before! Karloff is actually a good friend of mine!"

"Really? Then why didn't you tell us?" Lloyd wasn't too thrilled with his mother hiding secrets.

"That's another story for another day. We're all here to eat so why not enjoy ourselves tonight?" Koko was rather quick to dismiss her son's questions.

Lloyd and Iris never thought their evening out would end up like this. Koko and Karloff kept talking and they were left wondering what went on between them.

"I gotta go to the bathroom." Iris dismissed herself.

"Me too." Lloyd followed her away from the table.

Once the teens were gone, Koko and Karloff decided it was time to talk about the important stuff.

"Iris seems like a well-adjusted girl," Koko started, "You've certainly been a good father figure."

"I could be telling you the same," Karloff replied, "It's a shame how Lloyd is being treated. Teenagers can be so judgemental."

"I remember when you were like that."

"I wasn't a teenager. Besides, I grew out of it."

"Yeah. Just like the world, people can change."

"When do you think we should tell them?"

"Until the time is right..."

"And when do you suppose that will be? Iris still doesn't know what really happened in Almaz all those years ago. I've been meaning to tell her for a very long time."

"Tell me what?"

Karloff froze in his seat when he saw his niece as well as Lloyd returning to their tables.

"It's grown-up stuff. You wouldn't want us boring you." Koko dismissed the teens' concerns.

Looks like the adults won't have to worry about the young ones becoming suspicious… for now...

* * *

Luna continued her training in song and dance for the Steadfast Tin Soldier musical which seemed fair enough if not for her partner.

Griffin lifted her up and spun her around for the dance accompanying the main romantic number but there was nothing romantic about dancing with one of the most unlikable people in Ninjago High or if possible, the entirety of Ninjago City. The popular jerk sometimes stared at her in a way that served to make the kunoichi of sound even more uncomfortable. The way he looked at his partner reminded her of a predator who just found their new favorite plaything and it didn't help that he gripped her waist a little too tightly during their dance. Even when she made it clear she didn't like it with her expressions, his only response was a cocky smirk.

"Good work," Brad praised the duo, "Keep this up and this could be the greatest musical Ninjago High has ever produced!"

Luna had so many feelings regarding her situation. On one hand, this could be a huge step towards her ambitions but on the other, she _really_ didn't want to work with Griffin.

"I'm looking forward to practicing with you again." Griffin sent another perverse look her way and she shrunk back in her seat next to Cole.

"Thank god that's over!" Luna sighed in relief once she and Cole left the school.

"I'll say," The black ninja responded, "I was surprised Brad didn't say anything with the way Griffin was grabbing and looking at you."

"I know, right? If I don't know any better, I think he's playing favorites."

"Yeah. To him, it doesn't matter who you are. As long as you have looks and talent, you're in and he's not the only one. I feel that every kind of industry feels that way, especially music. There's a lot of idols who seem perfect but they always end up being fake or just complete assholes. It's disgusting."

Luna stopped in her tracks and she felt a massive weight hit her right in the heart.

If Cole thinks the music industry is bad, then what would he think of her dream to become an idol?

And does he think even the really successful artists like N-Pop Girl are secretly bad?

'What if my dreams are wrong? What else is there for me to live for? What should I be living for?'

"What's up with you?" Cole raised a bushy eyebrow at his fellow club member's strange behavior. If it were possible, there would've been a black storm cloud showering rain and lightning on the shy girl.

"I-I need some time alone…!" Luna sped off ahead of the muscular teen, much to his confusion.

Luna can't quite figure out what was going on inside her. She never expected Cole to say such a thing, not when he has a passion for music equal to hers. The kunoichi of sound felt a wrecking ball of many new emotions, feelings, and thoughts demolish her very mind. She

The purple kunoichi didn't know what this feeling she now harbored towards the earth ninja was. All she knew was that it was there and it gave her second thoughts about him.

'Wait… Since when did I have any expectations from Cole…?'

Luna felt every fiber of her being getting caught up in a tumultuous whirlwind while the whole world spin around her. Her reality was falling apart and there was seemingly nothing she could do about it. So many question but no answers.

It turns out the world wasn't spinning around the timid girl. _She_ was the one doing the spinning with a mortified expression on her face in the middle of the city. Everybody within sight, boy and girl, young and old, stared at the 'dancing madwoman'.

"Mommy, is that crazy girl gonna die?" A little boy asked his mother while pointing at the spinning girl.

"Yes, Jimmy! Yes she will!" His distressed mother shielded him from the lunatic.

* * *

 **And that's it for this chapter. Review.**


	59. Both Is Good

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Again with another update. I can't help but feel disappointed I haven't gotten any reviews lately but I promised myself I'll see this through to the end. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 58: Both Is Good

Training continued as usual at the ninja hideout. They trained with their weapons, learned a variety of techniques in hand-to-hand combat, and even philosophy. Luckily, Master Wu knew that all work and no play isn't exactly the best method of being taught anything and let his students take breaks. They got to spend their free time however they liked from Lloyd and the more tech-savvy ninja working on the mechs, to Luna tending to Varjo, and to Cole relaxing with his radio.

Varjo wagged her tail happily as Luna fed her some dog treats from her house though the kunoichi of sound herself looked far from happy. Her mind was stuck on what Cole said the other day and it really hit her hard. It's true there are some idols in the past who were revealed to be really messed up inside and she began to fear that might be her ultimate fate if she does become an idol.

"Are you alright?"

"Aria…?"

"Don't pretend you weren't looking all gloomy and stuff," The olive-skinned girl seated herself next to her teammate, "You always look so happy whenever you're taking care of Varjo but you kept frowning all day like an edgelord. Did something happen?"

"I did some thinking a couple of days ago and… and..."

"And then what?"

"...Maybe being an idol is a bad idea..."

"Who told you that?"

"He didn't exactly tell me but Cole said the music industry is full of idols who act fake. He even said it's disgusting. If I still want to become an idol, will that make me disgusting too?"

The kunoichi of sound can only imagine what kind of emotions went on in her teammate's head. She had a feeling they may not be good given that she looked like she saw a ghost.

"Are you crazy!?" The orange kunoichi exploded and the timid girl expected her to also call her hopes and dreams stupid…

"You're gonna let someone else decide what you're gonna be when you grow up!?"

"N-no… At least I don't think I do..."

"You should be lucky you know what you want! I still don't know what _I_ want!"

Luna was taken aback by her teammate's response. Her ultimate fear didn't come to pass but she still felt a little uneasy being compared to anyone in any way.

"What _do_ you want?" The kunoichi of sound meekly asked.

"I don't know, and that's the point!" Aria continued her little rant, "Do you know how hard it is to find something you truly believe is meant for you? If you really want this, then why let someone else ruin or decide it for you? If you want something, then why stop just because of someone's opinion?"

"I don't know..."

Luna still didn't know how to feel about all this. She looked up to Cole ever since first entering Ninjago High and he loves music just as much as her. It seemed strange of him to say such a thing. Aside from that, she was one step closer to getting what she wanted all her life but that meant doing some things she never wanted to do and she had a feeling working with someone like Griffin won't be as harsh as what she heard of idols facing constant pressure and self-image issues.

Will the same happen to her?

"Aria! Luna! We have to start training again!" Heather called out to the pair.

While the purple kunoichi would be normally more than happy to put her mind elsewhere, today just wasn't that day…

"Luna, you need any help?" Cole approached the shy girl.

"N-no, I'm good..." The kunoichi of sound squirmed at his presence, which was something she rarely, if ever, does. She felt these things she never felt before regarding the cool earth ninja and they were not a welcome feeling. Cole was confused by her reaction but nowhere near as much as Luna herself.

'What's happening to me…?'

Luna can't tell what was going on in her heart and if it was possible, finding out what these emotions are might make being a kunoichi look like a walk in the park.

* * *

The ninja were back in action at the beach. The Shark Army were terrorizing the civilians yet again. Of course the green ninja came to save the day but as always, he wasn't alone. The red and white ninja as well as the pink and purple kunoichi arrived at the scene to fend off Lord Garmadon's underlings.

"You remember what to do, right?" The green ninja turned to his teammates, making sure they didn't forget their strategy.

"NINJA-GO!" The Secret Ninja Force shouted their now official catchphrase and the fight commenced.

The red ninja and pink kunoichi were the main offense while the white ninja and purple kunoichi were focused on defensive tactics. The green ninja saved General #1 for himself. The sword wielders fought a fierce duel and were evenly matched. However, the same can't be said for the rest of their cohorts. The Shark Army clearly had the advantage in numbers but the Secret Ninja Force had a stronger sense of morale and work ethic. The enemy forces left the ninja exhausted but in the end, they managed to push through and the Shark Army were driven back.

"Curse you ninja!" General #1 shook his fists as his cowardly lackeys dragged him away.

"We finally did it…!" Luna huffed, having almost no energy left after the long arduous battle.

The crowds cheered for the ninja again, at least that's what they wanted to think.

"The green ninja has done it again!" Reporters and townsfolk were going wild over just one ninja yet again, much to the others' growing resentment.

"Again with Lloyd hogging the spotlight?" Kai hissed in annoyance.

"I know, right?" Iris agreed, "What does he have that we don't?"

"A direct relationship with an evil warlord if you want to start with the most easily noticeable aspects." The naive Zane started.

"Don't say that out loud!" The red ninja slapped his hand over the android's already concealed mouth.

"Guys, it's nothing but cheap tabloid fame. What matters is that we won." Lloyd tried to alleviate the growing tension between him and the rest of the team.

Even if they didn't complain anymore, the green ninja can tell his teammates still weren't happy with him taking all the spotlight and he was disappointed.

They were supposed to be his friends and allies so why are they getting mad at him for something he had no control over?

'Maybe they're really no different from everybody else at school...'

Even after the ninja came back to the warehouse, they still gave Lloyd all kinds of hell for being treated as the only ninja that matters.

"What the hell, Lloyd!?" Iris was the first to complain back at the ninja hideout.

"Hey! Why are you being so upset over a bunch of stupid celebrity stuff!?" Lloyd complained.

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it!" Kai exclaimed accusingly.

"Come on, guys. It's not like I was asking to have the whole world's eyes only on me." The green ninja defended himself.

"Then what makes you so special!?" The other ninja ganged up on him.

"Being famous is not the same as being a true master of the way of the ninja." Master Wu popped up to give words of wisdom to his pupils before things could get ugly.

"That's not the problem," Luna disagreed, "All of us have trained and worked hard but only Lloyd gets any credit at all."

"Is that why you joined the ninja? So you will be acknowledged and feel validated?" The elderly man continued with the armor-piercing questions.

"N-no…!"

"And I can be asking you the same." Wu turned to his own nephew.

"What? Me? Why would I doing all this for attention?" Lloyd sputtered in disbelief.

"Think about it," Jay chimed in, "Everyone in Ninjago hates you as yourself but when you're the green ninja, they all love you. After being bullied all your life, all that attention must feel good and the more you get it, the more you want it. It makes perfect sense."

"Now that you said it, it sounds like something Lloyd would do..." Heather added.

"No way!" The green ninja was taken aback by his teammate's explanation and his face turned red, for what reason the ninja had varying ideas, "I'm not a ninja because of that and there is _no_ way I'm like a crazy addict! Quit messing around!"

"Enough," Master Wu stepped in, much to his relative's relief, "What matters more is that your mission is completed. You must remember what is truly important. We will continue training tomorrow."

"Yes, Master Wu." The ninja bowed.

"As for you, Lloyd." The wise teacher stopped his nephew once everybody else left.

"What is it?" The green ninja asked, hoping he wasn't in trouble.

"Don't forget why you are here..." Wu warned him before letting him go.

Lloyd couldn't help but feel a little creeped out by his uncle's words.

The very last thing he wanted was the have the world's attention on him...

...Right...?

* * *

Lloyd finally had the apartment to himself since his mother was off to a meeting for her latest job. He normally liked to indulge on the latest anime and scarf down any snacks lying around at home but he can't stop thinking about what happened at Festin des Merveilles...

 _Iris, Lloyd, and their guardians sat next to each other at the upscale French restaurant,_

" _Lloyd, how have you been doing?" Karloff asked the green ninja after his trip to the bathroom._

" _Other than the stress of being the city pariah, I'm super, thanks for asking." Lloyd deadpanned._

" _Uncle, how did you and Mrs. Garmadon meet?" Iris asked._

" _It was a long time ago," The large man started, "Back then, Ninjago City was much smaller but that didn't stop Garmadon from trying to take over. The city was often ravaged by his raids and I decided to come here to help fix it. That was when I met Koko. We helped each other a lot during the hard times."_

" _But if you knew my mom, then you would've known about me too." Lloyd pointed out._

" _It was before you were born. I lost touch with your mother around the time she married Garmadon."_

" _Did you know about my parents' relationship?"_

" _No." Karloff answered a little **too** quickly to sound convincing..._

" _Not trying to be rude or anything, but why are **you** here?" Iris then asked Koko._

" _I wanted to give Lloyd an opportunity to live life just like any other person in the city. Isn't that right, sweetie?" Koko gazed at her only child._

" _Uh… yeah… sure..." Her son glanced at several diners staring at him like a hideous sideshow freak._

 _Unfortunately, Koko's plan didn't seem to work at all. The servers were nice to Karloff and Iris and they were already enjoying their desserts when Koko and Lloyd's entrees finally arrived. The waitress didn't say a single word and only glared at the outcasts before literally slamming the plates onto their table and then stormed off without a single word. It was clear where not only Lloyd but even Koko stood in Ninjago City's society._

" _Don't mind them," Karloff grumbled, "Once you leave, go to Ruddit and let 'em rip."_

" _It's fine, really. This is just everyday life for us. We're used to it." Koko said, almost sounding resigned._

 _Lloyd looked at Iris, who can only give him a pitiful glance._

" _You… can have the rest of my dessert if you want..." Iris offered her double chocolate mousse cake._

" _No thanks," Lloyd brushed her off, "Mom, we should eat somewhere else."_

" _But Lloyd..."_

" _We're not wanted here. Let's just go." Lloyd marched off without waiting for his mother, who can only look at his direction in concern before following him out..._

Back at his apartment, Lloyd became frustrated not because of his encounter with Iris and Karloff but towards his mother, especially at how passive she was to the discrimination they faced.

She's going through the same thing as him but why doesn't she say or do anything about it? How can she keep telling him to smile and look at the positive things when there isn't even much for her to be happy about? How can she be so ignorant?

Lloyd's 'mole' started to hurt, alerting him to what his unsavory thoughts already did to him.

'Dammit Lloyd, you have time to worry about this later.' Lloyd brushed off the pain once it dissipated. He was not interested in getting any more moles anytime soon...

* * *

Jay gulped when he found himself facing off against Kai for today's training. The fire ninja was already intimidating before all this ninja stuff but now, after showing what he's truly capable of, he'll probably burn the poor little guy to a crisp if he has actual fire powers. Wielding two katana, Kai looked just like those badass heroes from those shonen anime he often watched. On the other hand, Jay still looked nowhere near as badass as the rest of the team, especially Cole and Nya.

Being the impulsive youth he is, Kai attacked first. Jay let out a high-pitched squeal and ran away from his opponent as fast as he could. Immediately, he could hear Lloyd, Iris, and Aria guffawing at him until the sound of Master Wu's staff smacking their craniums stopped them. The first thing the timid ninja thought of doing was to swing his kusarigama and throw it at one of his adversary's weapons. Even if it was entangled in chains, Kai still pulled his katana but Jay also pulled with all the strength he had. This could've turned into a game of tug-of-war if Jay's hands hadn't gotten clammy with nervous sweat. All the perspiration caused his grip to falter and the handle of his weapon slipped from his hands. At least the chains were still wrapped around Kai's weapon, which still managed to delay him, even if it's just for a tiny bit. Jay clearly specialized in speed as he managed to evade Kai's attacks while trying to get his own weapon back and even then, remembered some of his martial arts training to deter him. His leg swung in a low kick when Kai got close and the fire ninja fell on his bottom, allowing the lightning ninja to finally reclaim his kusarigama.

"Guess you have a few tricks up your sleeve..." Kai's lips curved into a cocky smirk. Nothing like a good battle to get the adrenaline pumping.

Jay was never one for making the first move but he knew he had to act fast or Kai will beat him and he didn't want that any time soon. The blue ninja charged at his opponent and swung the sickle towards him, which was deflected by the katana.

Even with all the action, not all of the ninja were focused on seeing their match as entertainment.

While the red and blue ninja were busy with their duel, Cole looked busy with his own thoughts, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you preoccupied by troubling thoughts, my comrade?" Zane literally slid up next to the buff teen.

"Not exactly. I was just thinking about what kind of strategy might be best next time we face the Shark Army." The earth ninja shrugged off the android's concerns.

"I can fathom why your mind would be preoccupied on the subject. As an android programmed to not only help others but to also formulate the most logical approach to every situation, please allow me to offer some assistance."

"You don't have to. Really, there's no point in it. I don't want to be a burden."

"Why would you consider a strategy to not be essential to our duty?"

"I guess doing this is kinda stupid. We can't form a strategy if we have no idea what Garmadon plans on doing next. He could end up doing something that whatever strategy we come up with will end up being useless or worse, actually help him."

"There is still nothing counterproductive with seeking a solution or means to eradicate a serious issue. It is not something someone with a remarkably low intelligence quotient is often associated with."

"Then what would _you_ do?"

"My calculations indicate a sixty-four percent chance of the Shark Army utilizing the same tactics. We could try a different set of tactics than what we normally do to catch them off guard."

"Then that's what we're gonna do."

"Even if the chances of us succeeding if we do so increases slightly through that action alone, it is but a tactic. We need to think of a strategy as a whole."

"But that depends on what the Shark Army will do and where they'll be. Zane, can you run scenarios in your head."

"Of course." Zane's expression became blank and various theoretical events played out in his mind.

"Based on the actions the Shark Army invoke within my theories, we as individuals may obtain a slight advantage if each of us fight against enemies of a different fighting style." The ice ninja began.

"Go on..." The earth ninja urged him to continue.

"For example, Aria already knows several techniques with using daggers but so would the Shark Army members who wield the same weapons. There is a fifty-four percent probability they would be evenly matched. If a different ninja such as Iris for example fight against that same opponent, then the Shark Army may not know how to counterattack someone whose fighting style they are unfamiliar with. It is a risky strategy but I sense a fifty-eight percent chance of victory for us if we try."

Cole's expression was indiscernible to the android. He can only guess he was pondering over what he just said until he opened his mouth to speak...

"Zane, you're a genius!" The earth ninja praised him.

"I cannot consider myself a genius. I only ran calculations which is a part of my base programming -"

"Enough about that! You really helped me out and I couldn't have done this without you! You're very important to the team!"

For once, Zane felt like he could truly relate with someone. Like Cole, the white ninja also sought out a logical approach to every problem. Asides from that, the black ninja also showed a compassionate side with his drive to help anyone in need, just like him.

"I am happy to be of help." The android's face was graced with a sincere smile.

Cole felt his face heat up and can never for the life of him figure out why. Zane was just a friend, even before they got into this whole ninja mess. Sure, he can be more than a little strange but that failed to diminish how sweet and talented he was. Why anyone would ever reject him, he can never fathom.

"Zane, training's over! We gotta leave!" Jay beckoned Zane to accompany him, apparently surviving his match with Kai in one piece.

"I will see you again at school." The robot bade his teammate farewell before going his separate way.

For the first time since befriending Zane, Cole wasn't happy to part ways with him. It's likely because he'll have to go back to the mansion with only his father for company.

'Yeah, that's probably why...' The black ninja dismissed his glumness for his frosty relationship with the only family he had.

* * *

Master Wu returned to his residence in the Destiny's Bounty ship. Just like its resident, the vessel held many secrets which can't be revealed yet. Alas, secrets were not what the old man had in mind when he stepped into his personal chamber. He lit up some incense and prepared himself a cup of warm tea put his mind at ease before taking out some spirit smoke.

All thoughts of everything else were pushed into the back of the old man's psyche. Right now, he must prioritize the task he set out before him. With the musky fragrance of the spirit smoke grabbing hold of his senses, he began to see images hidden in the mist. He focused solely on the visions as the slowly began to clear up before him. The spirit smoke unveiled something terrible. Chaos and destruction will befall Ninjago City and it's all because of _it…_

Master Wu put out the spirit smoke and pointed his gaze towards a certain wardrobe in the corner of the room. No, there were no clothes inside. It concealed another secret, something that could deliver Ninjago City to its demise if held in the wrong hands.

'These visions must not come to pass… yet the future is unavoidable… I must begin preparations...'

* * *

The waves kept coming and going by the shores in a never-ending cycle. With the soft warm sand and clear sunny sky, it would be the perfect spot to get away from it all. But alas, the two young women at the beach didn't come there for a break.

"So how's the Water Strider doing?" Heather asked Nya, who stood by the very edge of the shore and letting the waves touch her bare feet.

"It's doing fine. I'm still working on the limbs though." The silver kunoichi answered.

"Did you ever think things would turn out this way?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know… Being in a group of vigilantes… saving the world from an evil overlord..."

"Oh yeah. Actually, I did have silly fantasies of being a hero like Lady Iron Dragon when I was little but as I got older, I starting thinking I'll never do stuff on that scale. Funny how life is full of surprises."

"Tell me about it."

"Now it's my turn. What did you think your life would be like before this."

"I never really thought about it…" Heather sighed, "My mind wasn't wrapped up in the future. I guess I was more focused on living in the present..."

"That's understandable."

"Still, I couldn't shake off this feeling that there's much more I could do than water flowers. Now that I think about, I couldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for you."

"Come again?" Nya was caught off guard by her friend's remark but let her explain.

"If you hadn't told me and Aria about the Secret Ninja Force, we wouldn't be standing here right now."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing knowing Aria..."

"I guess it can be both a good and bad thing..."

"So it's both?"

"Both."

…

"Both is good." The duo nodded solemnly.

* * *

 **As always, there's more to come. In the meantime, the poll's still open & don't forget to review.**


	60. Pursuit of Happiness

**Discovering Destiny**

 **And yet another chapter. This time, there will be humor & drama for the ninja as they make more progress on their mechs & new feelings blossom between a couple of ninja & kunoichi. Now sit back & read on.**

* * *

Chapter 59: Pursuit of Happiness

After many days of sweat, blood, and tears, the Hinata siblings finally did it. Both of their mechs were finally completed and the ninja gathered in the hideout to marvel at the newest contraptions.

"Not bad." Lloyd inspected the mechs and with those words coming from someone like him, they're a glowing review.

"I gotta say they look pretty awesome." Cole gazed at the newest ninja mechs.

"If you think it already looks cool, wait til you see what it can really do!" Kai bragged while showing off his new mech.

"Oh yeah? That's still nothing compared to my Water Strider!" The competitive Nya climbed into the cockpit of her own mechanical construct.

"Guys! You can't rush into this sort of stuff!" Lloyd warned the siblings before they could test it out.

"Why not!?" The impatient fire ninja protested, "You got to use your dragon right after finishing it!"

"That's not what I meant."

"Looks like all that attention's starting to get to his head." Aria remarked to her teammates.

"I heard that." The green ninja quipped.

Master Wu observed how his students behaved with their mechs and knew he'll have to step in before the ninja will give themselves more problems…

"Students, I understand you are excited to try out these mechanical constructs but you are ninja, not pilots. There is a reason why you are called the Secret _Ninja_ Force." He intervened to remind the ninja of who they really were.

"But you said these mechs could help us. So now you're saying we can't use them?" Even Lloyd started to get frustrated by his uncle's habit on raining down on his pupils' parade.

"I did not say you can't use them," Wu corrected his nephew, "You need to unlock your inner ninja and that will involve learning to stand on your own feet and discovering what you can do as an individual."

"It's not like we already kicked a lot of Shark Army ass on our own." Cole retorted.

"And you still have much to learn and have yet to realize your full potential."

As always, Master Wu's advice only left his apprentices with yet more questions than answers. Even if he didn't bombard them with unnecessarily cryptic advice, the ninja still couldn't bring their mechs to battle. There's still more mechs to be built and even without them, they still have a long way to go.

Master Wu wasn't kidding when he said the path to be a ninja will be a long one...

* * *

Now it was Zane and Heather's turn to go out together and learn about one another. They've already done it plenty of times outside of training but they didn't mind. They always liked being together, even if they still couldn't figure out why. Still, they found no reason to complain and ventured together into the forest outside Ninjago City.

As always, the kunoichi of nature was drawn to any flower in sight and the ice ninja was the same with pretty much everything. The android stared in innocent wonder at the natural world surrounding him and his teammate. With his advanced vision, Zane can pinpoint the little birds whose chirps prevented the forest from falling into complete silence and even their species.

Seeing Zane, a robot, immerse himself in a world of organic creatures and plants, Heather felt an urge to say something. She didn't know what to say so she kept quiet. Her dark blue eyes darted between the wildflowers before her and the white ninja tending to any animal he came across. The kunoichi of nature continued to observe him while he climbed a tree to return a baby bird to its nest it had fallen from. It surprised her how deeply the android respected all life, even if he wasn't an organic being.

'What am I saying? Zane's a good person and that matters more than if he was man or machine!' The teal kunoichi mentally reminded herself.

With all the animals within the vicinity apparently content, Zane went to check on his companion. The kunoichi of nature always looked the most content with flowers, especially while working at the flower shop. The way she smiled while tending to them made him think that's what this feeling humans call 'happiness' must look like. He already felt a sense of fulfillment while helping those in need and even acceptance when he was with his allies but it wasn't the same as true happiness. From what he heard, it made one feel complete and everything in their existence was right, something he never felt before, not even with his friends and even Heather, as much as he enjoyed her company.

Will he ever feel the emotion humans call happiness?

And is he even capable of feeling happiness?

"Zane, take a look at this!" Heather pointed at a small blue flower amidst the other plants. The white ninja observed his teammate as well as the flower she examined. The six petals were a very light blue that was almost reminiscent of the ice ninja's glowing eyes though the very center of each petal had a slight hint of purple. The stamen sticking out from the center were pure white and provided a striking contrast to the cool colors of the petals. It was nothing like any other flower the teal kunoichi had ever seen before… because she never saw seen it in real life until now.

"I've heard of this flower before!" Heather gushed like Jay would over any high-tech gadgets, "I can't believe we're actually seeing one right here and in front of our very own eyes! They're supposed to be extremely rare! I have the name on the tip of my tongue but I just can't seem to fully remember it..."

Seeing his teammate struggling to recall what the flower was called, Zane scanned it and researched the information that came up from within his internal database. It took only a few moments for him to find the answer Heather was looking for.

"This flower is known as the Northern Grace." The ice ninja answered after analyzing the plant's data.

"Northern Grace…?" The memories started coming back to Heather, who allowed him to continue.

"It is one of the flora native to the northeastern lands far from Ninjago City and even there, it is not a commonly seen flower. My father hails from that region and he has seen it only once in his long life." Zane explained the information he found to the teal kunoichi.

"I remember now! They're rarely seen outside their native terrain so I never saw them at Blossoming Memories. I'm surprised to see a Northern Grace so close to the city! You know, this could also be the very first time anybody has ever seen any of them outside their native land and on top of that, those people are us!" Heather exclaimed once it all came back to her.

"You know, there's something else I've been thinking about..."

"What is that?"

"It… kinda reminds me of you..."

Zane was stunned that Heather found him relatable to an organic life.

"How so?"

"It's such a rare flower and is hardly found anywhere else, kinda like how you're the only… you know." The kunoichi of nature would've continued but was aware of how sensitive her teammate gets when he's called _that_.

"There is no need to hesitate. It is true I am the only robot in Ninjago City." Zane consoled her.

"Besides that, you said the Northern Grace as well as your father come from the northeastern lands. And since we're possibly the first people to ever see this flower, I'm starting to think us finding it isn't a mere coincidence. I probably sound like a childish fool, believing something so superstitious while you always go with logic."

"My father once told me that everything happens for a reason," The ice ninja responded, "He did not just build me simply because he could. At least that is what he claims."

"Then why did he build you? Why does Master Wu hide things from us?"

"Even with my extensive database and logistics, I do not know the answers. Maybe that is what Father meant when he said I will live, not function. I was not made to possess complete knowledge. To live is to learn, grow, and change. It is another thing Father told me. I can learn… but not much else..."

"That isn't true!"

"Heather…?" Zane was surprised by the kunoichi of nature's sudden outburst.

"If you didn't become a ninja or even befriend Lloyd, you wouldn't have become an archer or even any other person besides that 'weird robot' at school! If you never trained in fighting, you would've never tapped into your potential as an archer! Zane, it doesn't matter if you're human or an android! You've shown me that you are your own person with your own emotions and desires and they're not coming from your programming or whatever! It's all you! If that doesn't convince you you're no different from every other person in Ninjago, I don't know what will!"

The white ninja stood in stunned silence by Heather's impromptu speech. For many years, he wanted to be seen as a living person and Heather proclaiming her belief that he is filled him with a vast variety of emotions and feelings for her he can't quite figure out.

"I... do not know what to say if that is what you truly believe…"

"You don't need to respond to everything that's said towards you."

The duo stood there for a long time, going through strange and new feelings for each other. Heather began to subconsciously walk from the forest with Zane instinctively following behind her.

"Heather, what made you say such things about me?"

"I feel like- WHOA!"

The flower-loving girl briefly felt nothing but thin air underneath one of her feet but not long enough to realize something was wrong before plummeting down a massive ditch the duo didn't notice until now. The teal kunoichi's fall was briefly cut short by a random cactus, which was not a good thing. The poor girl howled in agony from the needles poking her skin before falling further down the ledge. For some reason, there was a goat that rammed her, pushing her off the small landing. Next, she fell right onto a fire hydrant, which doesn't belong in the natural world. The red contraption spewed out water, dowsing and sending her down to the next obstacle. Finally, the poor girl fell right into a cannon which tipped downward with her still inside and blasted her into the ground below.

Zane watched the whole disaster until the smoke cleared. His optics zoomed in on the bottom of the ledge and he could make out the charred silhouette of his teammate.

"...Ouch..." And that can't even begin to sum up how badly Heather's suffering.

"Heather!" Zane called from the edge of the ditch, "Are you hurt?"

"What do you think!?" The teal kunoichi groaned.

"I will come down after you!" The white ninja jumped down the ditch to Heather's horror.

"Zane! No!"

Heather would've gotten up if not for being interrupted by the sound of the booby traps activating as well as the unmistakable sound of a body getting beaten up and soon enough, the equally bruised and battered Zane was blown out of the cannon and landed right next to her.

"Do not feel sorry for yourself, Heather," The android still spoke in a cheerful manner, "I have suffered the same hardships so you are not alone."

"Uh… thanks..." The teal kunoichi grumbled.

"You are welcome." Her naive teammate accepted her 'gratitude'.

Heather can only shake her head in disbelief. She usually appreciated how sweet Zane is but there are times, he can be… excessive.

"But where the hell did those traps come from!?"

The kunoichi of nature limped towards the bottom of the ledge and tried to investigate the cause for such a strange out-of-place prank. Zane scanned the items that bombarded him on the way down and traced their past actions before he and Heather fell victim to them and saw a pattern.

"It appears someone intentionally placed them there." The ice ninja concluded aloud.

"Garmadon… Of course..." Heather grumbled to herself.

"We must alert the others."

"That is if we can make the trip back…" The teal kunoichi still felt her whole body ache from the trap.

"And I may be in need of some maintenance..." Zane's eyes twitched a bit when he placed his optical functions back to default mode.

"And what about the Northern Grace?"

"I cannot scan it from down here. Judging from the distance, it is most likely unharmed."

"I feel it's best to leave it there. It could be our own little secret. We wouldn't want a bunch of people discovering it and try to rip it from the ground now, would we?"

"I understand the desire to preserve the natural world."

The kunoichi of nature groaned as painful tingles ran up and down her body. Zane stepped in and held her arm over his shoulders as they began their trip back to the city.

* * *

Heather hissed as the cold water from the damp cloth stung her wound that were being tended to by her teammates. On the other hand, Zane was as calm as can be while Jay performed maintenance on his mainframe, repairing the wires and screwing the gears.

"A ledge full of booby traps in the middle of nowhere?" Nya started, "Nope. Not suspicious at all."

"Do you even believe what you're saying?" Lloyd questioned the silver kunoichi's sense of logic.

"No." The confident girl deadpanned.

"Did you find out who did this?" Cole was dumbfounded by the story Zane and Heather told the ninja of the strange trap but sought answers.

"We didn't see anyone. Not even the Shark Army members or Garmadon. But we're sure it was them." The teal kunoichi managed to let out before whimpering when Nya checked on her bruises.

"Such is to be expected from my brother," Master Wu stroked his long beard in deep thought, "Which is precisely why you should never let your guard down, even in the most seemingly peaceful of times. You can never know what will happen next..."

* * *

Later that night…

"Why didn't you wake us up when I told you to!?" The echoes of irritated voices disturbed the tranquil peace of the forest.

"Don't blame me! You kept saying five more minutes!" Whoever those voices belonged to argued.

"Guys! Look!" One of them pointed at a certain ledge. All the traps have been activated but there was no one else but them and the goat whose bleat echoed in the nighttime wilderness.

"See? I told you it'll work!"

"But the ninja still got away!"

"It doesn't matter! Garmadon will -"

"Don't speak of his name! We'll wait until the time is right! Then we'll get what we deserve!"

Besides the trap and the sounds of their footsteps, not a single creature in the forest would ever know the owners of those voices ever existed.

* * *

The Secret Ninja Force were back to saving Ninjago City from Garmadon and his Shark Army. Zane and Heather understandably stayed behind, leaving Lloyd with Cole, Aria, Iris, and Jay to accompany Lloyd on today's mission.

"NINJA-GO!"

The green ninja and pink kunoichi threw themselves on the front line while the black ninja, blue ninja, and orange kunoichi lingered in the back, providing support for the team.

Just as before, the Shark Army were driven back and the ninja reveled in their increasing luck. Even if Lloyd still kept getting all the attention, that didn't diminished their growing optimism.

"You know, I'm starting to think the Shark Army's the main threat, not Garmadon." Aria said while the ninja made their way back to the warehouse.

"Don't say that! You'll jinx us!" Jay whined.

"What? I'm just saying we never see him actually go out and do anything other than bragging over his 'right' to rule Ninjago."

"You do have a point..." Iris agreed with the kunoichi of wind.

"Maybe he's just one of those guys who go on like they're all that but in the end, they're just talk." The orange kunoichi concluded.

"And maybe you shouldn't be pressing our luck." Lloyd joined in, sounding a little too annoyed.

"Don't get all bitchy now, Lloyd," Cole stepped in, "Wouldn't you want your dad to not be a threat to Ninjago? Then perhaps people will stop giving you a hard time."

Lloyd wasn't sure how to answer. He really wanted Garmadon gone or at least have no power to take over the city. Yet something about Aria implying he was no threat irked him and it wasn't because of it being a potential jinx like he told her.

'Wait. I'm not trying to defend him, am I?' He was disgusted by the mere thought of caring for the evil warlord at all, even if they're related. He already ruined his life from day one so why should he care?

Sometimes, he was envious of Zane being a robot. Then he can just get rid of these feelings with only a single switch.

* * *

Another ninja and kunoichi were paired up together for today's 'outing'. This time, it was Kai and Aria's turn to explore the lands that lie beyond the city. Being the inquisitive girl she was, Aria was all for it. As for Kai, he would rather train at the warehouse. At least he would be doing something productive instead of sitting idle while Garmadon's hatching another scheme and he remembered what Heather and Zane went through last time they went out.

"Come on, Kai! Go out and live a little!" Aria literally dragged him across the grassland.

"How could you act all carefree in a time like this?" Kai still wasn't having it, "There could still be more booby traps Garmadon set out for us and what if we walk right into it?"

"I don't think anyone would be dumb enough to try the same prank more than once."

"True, but there's still the possibility."

"Kai, you need to relax every once in a while! Look! You could see all of Ninjago City from here! Isn't it an amazing sight?" The kunoichi of wind pointed at the spectacle before them.

Kai had to admit the view was rather impressive. He could see the entire skyline of Ninjago City along with the coastline next to the buildings and even the mountains beyond it. The orange kunoichi gazed in awe at the spectacular sight while also enjoying the breeze that blew through her short dirty blonde locks. Being the kunoichi of wind, she found the windy weather apt for her outing with Kai.

"I guess it's kinda nice to just relax and not think about stuff that annoys us." He sighed.

Aria gave a small hum in response, taking in the scenery with a neutral face.

Kai couldn't help but wonder what Aria was thinking as they watched the hustle and bustle of the city in the distance. She doesn't seem like the kind of person whose mind would be focused on one topic for more than a minute unless it's something serious. He had trouble reading her expression and can do nothing but sit beside her and watch the city move ever forward.

'Could the Shark Army have set another trap here?' Aria asked herself, 'Still, it's nice that Master Wu lets us get out of that boring old warehouse once in a while. I could get used to this. I still don't know how this will help us with our training or even find our true potential, whatever that is. Not that I have anything against it.'

…

'I wonder what Mom's making for dinner tonight...'

"Aria, it's getting late. We should go back." Kai noticed the slight change in color of the sky. The slight traces of pink indicated that the sun was starting to set and it was around this time that training ends.

"Awww, I want to see the sun set! It's always so pretty!" Aria whined.

"We can do this again later. Let's go." The red ninja obviously wasn't having any of it.

"Fine." The kunoichi of wind pouted and started walking ahead of him.

Kai noticed that the ground dipped to their left while the oblivious Aria kept walking and even got too close to the edge. The orange kunoichi squealed upon losing her balance and nearly fell over.

"Look out!" Kai instinctively grabbed Aria, only to end up falling down with her.

The pair took a tumble but thankfully, the pit was nowhere near as large as the one Heather and Zane came across nor were there any random stuff like cacti or goats in the way. Their fall was softened just a little bit by the tall grass below them.

"Are you okay?" Kai's main concern was Aria's wellbeing.

"I-I'm fine..." The olive-skinned girl tried to get up but something, or _someone_ , was stopping her from separating herself from her teammate.

It finally dawned on the fire ninja and kunoichi of wind what position they were in.

Kai was lying on his back with his arms still wrapped around Aria's body while her hands were pressed up against his chest. Their faces were closer than ever before and they could see the smallest details on what was exposed of each other's faces underneath their masks from the slightly pink skin of Kai's scar to the thick eyelashes framing Aria's blue-green eyes.

It took several seconds for Aria to realize what their position was implying and jumped as far away as possible from Kai and it's not like she hated him or anything. This was the first time she had extremely close contact and she just didn't know how to react...

...Right…?

"Uh… can we agree to never speak of this to anyone…?" The hot-blooded ninja was also flustered over the… position he was in seconds ago.

"Yeah..."

Both teens felt their faces heat up for some reason. Maybe it was because of their masks and it was a pretty hot day today.

Yeah. That's probably it.

* * *

 **And just like in the show, this world has its fair share of deep, dark secrets. So how will the ninja's relationships evolve?...Or devolve? Keep reading to find out.**

 **Another side note, I decided my poll will end on the August 31 so please vote if you have the time. Until then, I'll see you soon & review.**


	61. Change in Perception

**Discovering Destiny**

 **It's that time again.**

 **The chapters just keep adding up and this one will have bits of humor, drama, & action. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 60: Change in Perception

Being the wretched hive where teenage assholes gather and judge everyone and everything, Ninjago High was one of the biggest sources of gossip of everyday life in the city. Lately, it seems the only thing everyone ever talks about is the new team of ninja, especially the leader in black and green.

Lloyd felt like his head was going to explode from all the talk about the 'awesome green ninja'.

"I bet he's so handsome underneath that mask!" Some dumb fangirls gushed over their new idol.

"Hopefully, the green ninja will not only get rid of Garmadon but also you-know-who." Other students expressed their expectations whilst glaring at a certain green-eyed outcast.

Lloyd himself couldn't be more disillusioned by all these idiots rambling on about the ninja like they're the greatest thing ever like a wretched fandom and he knows how horrible those are, especially that one for that show about living rocks from outer space.

Do these idiots have any idea that the green ninja they worship is also the same kid they've bullied for years because of something he had absolutely no control over?

The only thing Lloyd didn't get was why everyone acted like the green ninja was the only person who dressed up in a tacky outfit and play hero when he was far from the only vigilante in Ninjago City.

"What makes the green ninja so great?" Lloyd finally had the guts to ask why only one ninja got more attention and adoration than the rest.

"As if you'd care," Chen scoffed but continued, "The green ninja's always there to stop the bad guys."

"Yeah! And he also carries a sword and everyone knows that if you have a sword, you're cool!" Other cheerleaders added.

"You know he's not the only one. What about the others like the white ninja and silver kunoichi?"

"Let's get out of here. Lloyd always ruins the fun for everyone." Everyone glared at the young outcast and left to be as far away from him as possible. Lloyd only scoffed, being accustomed to every person in Ninjago giving him the cold shoulder. The green ninja went on his way to his first class soon caught the familiar sight of a striped top, black leather jacket, and torn jeans.

'Finally! A sane face in this cesspool of idiots.'

"What? I thought you'd be too busy being in the spotlight to give a damn about us." Nya frowned once Lloyd was close to her.

"Great. Not you too." Lloyd sighed in exasperation.

"I'm just messing with you," The tenacious girl's expression shifted into a cheeky smirk, "Don't worry. I'm not gonna let some petty grudge change my opinion of you."

"I don't think you can say the same for the others."

"It's just cheap tabloid fame. Even as ninja, there are more important stuff to be worrying about."

"Such as…?"

"What do mean the fire ninja's not cool enough!?" The pair's moment of solitude was interrupted by a certain hothead's outburst.

"That." The silver kunoichi briefly shot an annoyed glance in the direction of that voice.

Kai marched over to his little sister and best friend… or former best friend if his furious scowl indicated anything. The air even seemed to grow hotter to the less temperamental pair once the fiery teen was right next to them.

"I don't want to talk about it." Lloyd said firmly before any sound can come out of Kai's mouth.

One by one, the other ninja joined up with Lloyd. Even if they didn't say anything about it, the green ninja can tell they weren't happy with him taking up all the fame and glory. He wasn't happy about it either, mostly because he never wanted it anyway.

"It's always the ones with daddy issues that get all the attention." Iris muttered to herself.

Cole let out a bemused snort but Lloyd can tell he wasn't happy at what the pink kunoichi said.

'Yeah. And I have daddy issues too but you don't see everyone bringing me up like I'm the best thing since Lady Iron Dragon.' The black ninja thought sardonically to himself.

The green ninja wanted to say this was the worst day of his life but that's pretty much what his entire life is like. Every single day. He knows that saying it out loud would be a jinx anyway. Noticing that the other ninja already headed off for their classes, Lloyd decided to follow suit. On his way, he peeked at the bulletin board and much to his horror, there were still some schoolgirls who didn't let his very first encounter with Iris go. Apparently, there were still some idiots who thought he and Iris were a couple.

Apparently, he doesn't even have to say anything to make every day the worst day ever.

* * *

Upon the ninja's arrival, Master Wu inspected them to decide who will go out next. He stared at each and every one of his apprentices before finally saying something.

"If a tree falls down in a forest, does it make a sound?" And he's back at it with all the weird questions.

"Of course it does!" Kai answered before imitating the sound of one.

"No," Wu shook his head, his beard swaying ever so slightly, "A falling tree can't make any sound if no one is there to hear it."

"Just get to the point." Iris quickly grew impatient.

"Heather and Luna, it's time for you to set out and find the answer." The old mentor turned his steely gaze upon the two girls.

The kunoichi of nature and sound mentally kicked themselves for missing the clues that were right in front of them. A tree making a sound if it falls. It couldn't be more obvious than that.

"Let's go, Luna," The teal kunoichi beckoned her teammate to follow her out, "Let's get this over with."

The timid kunoichi of sound quickly followed her teammate but not without sending a backward gaze towards the rest of the team, particularly a certain ninja in black. Cole's expression showed… nothing. He only looked at her but she can't detect even the slightest hint of concern, sadness, or even anger. She couldn't help but feel disappointed again.

"Luna!" Heather called out to her again, this time in a less patient tone.

Looks like she'll have to think over her feelings later...

* * *

Thankfully, Heather was now fully recovered from her previous outing. She and Luna were back in the forest and this time, they were careful not to run into any traps. They kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary like fire hydrants and goats.

"I heard the music club's doing a musical for the Steadfast Tin Soldier." Heather tried to get the timid Luna to start talking by bringing up something she would be invested in.

"Yeah. In fact, I'll be playing the ballerina." Luna replied.

"Really? And who's playing the soldier?"

The kunoichi of sound bit her lip underneath her mask. She didn't want to be reminded of Griffin, no matter how devoted she was to her upcoming role.

"Do you think you could join the music club?"

"No, I don't think the performing arts isn't for me. I do appreciate the arts but I can't see myself doing that kind of stuff."

"I understand. Everybody has different interests. I don't want to sound rude or anything but I tend to connect more with people who also like music. I guess that's kinda why I look up to Cole. He seems to love music as much as me, perhaps even more. And I usually prefer to hang out with the other music club members at school."

"That's understandable. It's always more comfortable when you're around people you share things in common with."

"Maybe that's also why Aria and I manage to get along pretty well, if I do say so myself. We do have a common interest in shopping, even if I haven't spent much time with her as I have with Cole."

"No offense but it seems like music and Cole are the only things you ever think about."

Luna nearly choked when Heather said that.

She didn't want to believe she was an empty-headed ditz. That was part of the reason why she signed up for this. The other reason was…

"Oh god! I don't wanna turn out like that Ella Swan from those crappy Eventide books!" The kunoichi of sound loudly cried.

"Don't worry. You still have time to not turn out like her." Her teammate attempted to placate her.

"What!? Now you can read my mind!?"

"No… You happened to say it out loud..."

Luna stared at Heather, completely flabbergasted before she collapsed into a fetal position. The poor girl was shaking and whimpering like a helpless little puppy.

"It's gonna be okay," The kunoichi of nature knelt down to console her, "Flowers are to me what music is to you. If singing is what you really want to do, then who am I to tell you it's wrong?"

"But you all seem to have something great planned out for you while I'm stuck doing something that's so… lackluster… compared to all of you."

"People change over time. I don't know if I can say the same for myself but that's what the future is, I suppose." The teal kunoichi shrugged.

"What makes you think you're not going to change?"

"I can be pretty set in my ways once I make a decision. At least that's what my parents tell me. I guess that's why we're all here."

Luna felt a little better after hearing Heather's words but there was something else she was concerned about. Something the teal kunoichi's advice might never be able to help.

Luna looked up to Cole ever since they first joined the music club last year and she always sought him out for guidance. He always kept his cool, no matter what happened, and seemingly took everything life throws at him with stoic maturity. He was everything she wasn't yet also wanted to be.

That is until recently. The kunoichi of sound felt everything she knew about him come crashing down. Heather's advice won't fix this dilemma and there's nothing she can do except let the future unfold…

Or try to confront the earth ninja himself, which ended up frightening her more than anything.

Should she set out to find the answers that she may not like or should she be left wondering forever?

Neither choice was pleasant but she'll have to choose eventually...

* * *

With the Mech Dragon spruced up even further, it was time for another test run.

"Okay, the missiles are in place. Now bring in the targets." Lloyd had his teammates help the massive mechanical beast get ready for its newest task.

"Do you think testing missiles will be safe?" Luna asked, "What if people discover us?"

"I know," The green ninja said with slight annoyance, "But I can't risk the dragon malfunctioning in the middle of a battle. Which one would you prefer?"

"Are you sure you're ready?" Kai asked, wanting to make sure his friend knew what he was doing.

"And I'm just as sure that Garmadon ruined my life." Even during training, Lloyd was as snarky as ever.

"Fine. Don't blame us if people start coming on to us."

Once the targets were set up, Lloyd had them locked on the screen in front of him. With the push of a button, three missiles were sent flying from the Mech Dragon's maw. The first and second missiles hit their targets but the third flew past the window above the last target.

"You missed the last one." Aria pointed out.

"Did I?" Lloyd asked in a rather dismissive tone...

Even after school's over, cheerleading practice still went on at Ninjago High. Today would've been no exception if it weren't for a sudden missile that came from out of nowhere landing on the field where the cheerleading squad trained. In the center of the charred wreckage was Chen, who stood still and dumbfounded. His whole body was black as coal and his face was frozen in a deer-caught-in-headlights expression. Too bad Lloyd will never get to see it.

* * *

It's back to the wilderness for the ninja or at least two of them.

Kai and Cole were next to train outside. Being the hothead he is, the fire ninja wanted to face off with his teammate, even when they're out in the wild with no excessively mysterious old men telling them to train constantly.

"Cole, how about we have a little one-on-one duel?" Kai already balled his fists, ready for a brawl.

"Come on!" The red ninja egged on his companion, "Let's see who's the better fighter between us!"

"Looks like today's your lucky day since I've been itching for a good fight." The earth ninja positioned himself in a fighting stance and reached for the hammer strapped to his back.

"Wait a sec!" Kai suddenly interrupted.

"What? Now you're gonna back out?"

"No! I want this to be a _real_ fight! No weapons, just our fists! We're gonna fight man-to-man!"

"Bring it on!"

Kai and Cole circled each other briefly and the latter swooped in with his fist held back. The fire ninja knew exactly what his opponent was going to do and stopped the earth ninja's fists with only his bare hands. Apparently, all those training sessions managed to improve Kai's physical strength as well. Cole was surprised at the fiery ninja giving him a run for his money in terms of raw strength. But for him, it was a pleasant kind of surprise.

The earth ninja drew back his hand again but this time, he wasn't planning on delivering a punch. He grabbed his opponent and pinned him down in a clutch. The fire ninja felt the air squeezed out of his lungs but it'll take a lot more than that to make him give in. He sank his nails into the exposed flesh of Cole's arms until the strong ninja winced in discomfort. Once the earth ninja's grip faltered just a tiny bit, Kai wriggled his way out and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying several feet.

"N-not bad..." Cole gasped but was quick to recover, "But it'll take more than that to take me down!"

The black ninja lunged at his opponent, pinning him down. He got up to let Kai catch his breath, if only for one second before hoisting him up and slamming him down onto the ground again. Before the red ninja could get up, Cole body-slammed him, eliciting a loud gasp. Fortunately for Kai, Cole wanted to make sure he always had some fight in him before they tire themselves out and quickly got up.

Kai suddenly swung his leg low, taking Cole by surprise and the black ninja fell on his bottom.

The fire ninja grabbed the black ninja by the neckline of his gi but stopped all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Cole knew something was going on if Kai wasn't in the mood for a fight.

"I hear something..." Kai's fiery eyes darkened with a serious air.

The black ninja followed suit when he can hear it too. It was easily missed during their duel but he can hear soft tapping sounds that didn't belong in the wilderness. Both ninja took out their weapons and stood back to back, ready to face the impending threat.

"Come on out and fight!" The fire ninja egged on whoever might be watching them.

"Just as we thought," Malicious chuckles echoed in the rustling bushes that parted to reveal the Shark Army approaching and surrounding them, "You know it's dangerous to wander off all alone."

After the ninja's little duel, they're probably tired and now's their chance to succeed and maybe even win their dark lord's favor.

"You still up for this?" Cole wanted to make sure his ally was ready for battle with the enemies.

"Just as always." Kai let out a cocky smirk hidden underneath his mask.

Looks like both sides want a fight and it's a fight they'll get.

"NINJA GO!"

Kai and Cole charged at the Shark Army and didn't hold back. Kai swiftly cut down any enemies in his way with his two katana and Cole smashed anyone and anything in his way with his large warhammer. Even with their weapons, both ninja occasionally opted to fight with their fists against the adversaries. Kai fought with swift martial arts moves while Cole tore down any enemy in his vicinity with wrestling moves. Even if their bodies were already bruised and battered from their duel, their enthusiasm was more than enough to make up for it. The Shark Army were able to land more than a few good hits but the ninja of fire and earth weren't so keen on giving up so easily. Both ninja pushed through until the enemy forces dwindled. The red and black ninja were weighed down by their decreasing stamina but they pressed forward, determined to see this battle to the very end.

Once the dust had settled, Kai and Cole were the only ones standing, breathing heavily as they felt the toll of the battle get to them.

"Nothing like a good brawl to make you feel alive!" Kai boasted despite his exhaustion.

"Wanna do this again some time?" Cole asked.

"Hell yeah!"

The black ninja chuckled at his teammate's hot-blooded demeanor. At least the fire ninja knew how to really live life to the fullest and he'll give him kudos for that. For once, Master Wu may have been on to something when he let the ninja continue going out. At least training won't be so boring anymore.

* * *

It was just another day at the Petite Corner for Zane. He cooked a wide variety of dishes for the motley patrons and even help with the cleaning whenever he had time. He can hear many patrons talk about how good the food was and he was always grateful for it, that is until today.

Lately, these compliments don't feel as gratifying as they once were. He used to feel a slight sense of fulfillment when hearing everyone say his food was delicious but now, he can't help but sense that is all they ever care about. They don't seem to care about all the hard work he put into each and every dish nor do they grasp the true value of sharing a meal together.

Once the android stepped outside, he found himself face to face with none other than Jay.

"Did you happen to come here by chance or have you come for food that is worth your time?" The ice ninja asked calmly.

"Um… do you happen to have a sarcasm switch or something…?" Jay was put off by his robot friend's choice of words.

"No, I do not. However, I do possess a humor switch." Zane replied.

"Is it on?"

"No."

"Oh… Then does this mean I'm too late to get some food?"

"You could join me back at my abode and I will be happy to prepare something for you to eat."

"Thanks!"

* * *

It wasn't just Zane's cooking that made Jay delighted to return to the Julien residence. He looked up to Dr. Julien and eagerly listened to him talk about his engineering feats while enjoying a homemade dish prepared by Zane. While letting his taste buds indulge in the heavenly flavors of fresh pasta in a light cream sauce tossed with sauteed vegetables, the blue ninja intently listened to Dr. Julien speak of his many experiences in the field of science and technology.

"I always end up scrapping at least three designs before I come up with the final product," The elderly engineer lectured the aspiring inventor on his experiences, "Don't worry or berate yourself if things do not go as planned. We make mistakes to learn from them. You may not believe it but I have more than my fair share of failures on my way to becoming what many refer to me as one of Ninjago City's most brilliant scientists."

"Did you do other stuff besides inventing?" Jay asked with the same wide-eyed wonder he had when he first met the famed inventor.

"I wouldn't say it was something I intentionally set out to do but I did get enrolled in college a couple of years early due to my supposedly excellent academic record. Some even claim I was 'gifted'. Even to this day, I don't really believe it. No one is innately talented from the day they're born. I worked hard and spent many days studying to get where I am now. I can tell you have a lot of potential through the passion you have for inventing."

"Really? Me?"

"Of course. Greatness takes time. Even Zane went through a lot of practice to develop his culinary skill. It wasn't something I installed in him but I'm so grateful for him getting to learn and experience things just like humans."

"I guess you can say that." Jay glanced at the now empty plate before him.

Meanwhile, Zane was happy to observe someone who truly appreciated him not only for what he can do but also for simply being who he is. Jay seemed to truly accept every part of him, even the parts of him that were not… human. It's understandable given his family's affinity for machinery.

Suddenly, MOM started beeping in Morse code that it was time for Zane to head off for training.

"It is time for our study session, Father. I will return when it is done." Zane got ready to leave with Jay following him.

"Stay safe, you two." Dr. Julien saw off the pair.

* * *

One of the things that took Zane by surprise when he first met his friends was how much Jay can talk when his only company were people he knew very well. The blue ninja talked nonstop during the walk to the warehouse on every topic imaginable, from the origins of tapioca to Borg Industry products.

"You know, I've been doing some thinking recently..." Jay changed the subject yet again.

"About what?" Zane encouraged him to continue.

"It's not everyday people get to see a robot fighting crime, much less train alongside them. Since you happen to be both a robot and a ninja, you're definitely no ordinary being."

"That is true. However, I sense that is not the main topic you are thinking of."

"On top of being the only teenage robot in Ninjago City, you're part of the Secret Ninja Force. You put those two together and that makes you a robot ninja, or a nindroid for short."

"A… nindroid…?" The naive robot tilted his head.

"You know, ninja and android? You mix those two together and you get nindroid. It's pretty much who you are." The blue ninja elaborated for him.

'Nin...droid...' Zane repeated the word in his thought processors. Of course being a made-up word by the lightning ninja, it didn't appear in his internal dictionary. The word was something entirely unique, much like himself. Everyone and everything in Ninjago City was unique and that's what made him not all that different from the other humans inhabiting the city.

"Nindroid… There is something about that name that feels… right..." Zane said.

"You don't mind being called a nindroid from now on?" Jay asked.

"I am both an android _and_ a ninja. It is part of who I am. I am a… nindroid."

And a dramatic tune played for a couple of seconds, confusing both ninja and bringing this part of the story to an end.

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter. Please review.**


	62. Three's a Party

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Once again, I'm back with another update. The ninja will go on yet another mission but there are more interactions that could show hints on what will happen between some of the ninja & kunoichi in the future. As always, read on.**

* * *

Chapter 61: Three's a Party

"A nindroid, huh?"

Zane predicted a fairly low probability of Kai not liking the new term. The fire ninja only stared at the newly christened nindroid for a few moments before finally speaking again.

"Of course. Leave it to Jay to come up with the weirdest nicknames." He shrugged but seemed to not mind the new moniker.

"It certainly isn't the most orthodox of terms but it is unique, just like every how every last person in Ninjago City is unique. And that is what unites them. Maybe that is what makes me the same."

"Yeah, yeah. Enough flowery comparisons. You know you're still being called a robot."

"That is true. However, I do not feel discomfort. More often than not, I sensed a malicious intent when people called me a robot. Even if it is the truth, I do not like being told that in the manner most people have used."

"So it's more of an association kind of thing?"

"I may be robot but that is not all of who I am. Maybe I am beginning to associate that word with the stigma and negative connotations that came with it during the many time I have been called that."

"Zane, it's just a word. You're overreacting."

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will permanently cripple my mental health." Lloyd suddenly joined in, startling the fire ninja.

"Lloyd! I swear you're gonna end up like Master Wu!" Kai complained but his teammate ignored him.

"I know how you feel about being called a robot," The green ninja paid no heed to his fiery comrade in turn, "It's pretty much what I go through every day. I don't blame you for hating that word."

"I do not necessarily have any animosity towards the term alone. It is the way people have used it that I do not like. No one has ever called me a nindroid out of ill will and that could be why I do not object to being called such."

"Probably cuz Jay just invented it."

"That is true..."

"But if being called a nindroid makes you happy, so be it."

Zane was still getting accustomed to being called a nindroid. It was something completely different. He knew being different wasn't an entirely bad thing and at least Jay didn't come up with the name out of spite. The name also gave him a better idea of who he truly was deep down. He also became a ninja to figure out who he truly is so that title could have an even more significant meaning...

* * *

The Secret Ninja Force watched the latest breaking news which of course, blamed Lloyd.

"Well this is new." Cole calmly observed the Shark Army raiding not one, not two, but _three_ different parts of Ninjago City at once. Master Wu stood before his students, who knew what was coming.

"Alright, Master Wu," Aria sighed, "Give us the rundown so we can get this over with."

"Aria, being a ninja isn't a form of entertainment nor a simple pastime. It is a duty to protect those you care about as well as finding yourself. This isn't a triviality you could simply throw away once you get tired of it. You should've remembered that the day you agreed to join."

The orange kunoichi pouted over her teacher's accusation. She didn't join the Secret Ninja Force just because it sounded awesome. She wanted to see if life had some great plan for her. She may be a bit capricious but it wasn't nice of her teacher to make assumptions of her. In the end, she had no choice but to let him continue.

"Lloyd will head for the plaza along with Kai, Nya, and Iris." Wu started laying out the plans.

"And who else is going where?" Heather goaded him to continue.

"Zane, Cole, and Luna will go after the Shark Army at the beach while Jay, Heather, and Aria will head downtown. Once your duties are done, meet up here. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master Wu." The ninja bowed before setting out on their mission.

"Wait! When are you gonna use the Mech Dragon?" Nya paused for a moment.

"I won't be using it anytime soon if you're gonna keep asking questions!" Lloyd retorted before going ahead of her. The silver kunoichi frowned in annoyance but followed anyway alongside the rest of the team. The ninja eventually split up, hoping luck wouldn't leave each of them...

* * *

The trio at the beach were the first to meet their foes face-to-face.

"Get ready for some double trouble!"

"Cuz we're gonna burst your bubble!"

Cole, and Luna cringed at the extremely cliched entrance of the Shark Army, complete with dramatic lighting and extreme close-ups of their cocky smirks. All the while, Zane merely tilted his head just like a confused puppy.

"Zane, Remember that thing you told me about each of us fighting enemies with different weapons?" The earth ninja asked his humanoid companion.

"What are you talking about?" Luna, not knowing what Zane said before, was still in the dark.

"Yes. Do you intend to follow those tactics in this battle?" The nindroid asked in return.

"Since we're already here, we might as well give it a shot!" Cole assumed a fighting position.

"Wait! What are we supposed to do!?" The kunoichi of sound complained.

"Luna, fight off that guy with the sword!" The black ninja pointed at the aforementioned Shark Army lackey, "Zane will handle the one with the blowfish club, and I'll take on the man with the trident! Do you understand?" The earth ninja briskly explained to her.

"I-I'll try my best." The kunoichi of sound steeled what nerve she had and followed her teammates.

"Hey! Pay attention when we're talking!" The Shark Army weren't happy with the ninja chatting away like they didn't matter.

"We _are_ paying attention." The black ninja's voice carried a foreboding air and the Shark Army realized they really shoved their feet into their mouths this time.

"NINJA GO!" All three divisions began their battles at the same time.

Lloyd and his group charged head on at the Shark Army. With a swing of her spear, Nya cleared a path for her teammates to jump right into the action and sate their thirst for battle. The loud clang of blade hitting against blade was almost cathartic to the ninja. After another crappy day at school, Lloyd now had the perfect method to let out his anger and frustration.

At the downtown area, Jay, Heather, and Aria thought of nothing besides getting out of this fight alive. Heather and Aria took down any lackeys that were unfortunate enough to cross their paths. Even Jay managed to survive the bulk of the battle in one piece thanks to his quick thinking and speed.

"Behind you!" The teal kunoichi warned her male partner of the enemy looming over him, carrying a blade over their shoulders. There was no need to guess what they planned to do to him.

Good thing speed was Jay's forte since he escaped from the blade's aim. The lightning ninja knew this was not the time to hesitate. He swung his kusarigama over his head and threw the chains towards his would've-been assailant. The chains wrapped around them and with a simple yank, the underling was pulled down and dragged across the hard ground.

Heather and Aria were no slouches either. Aria used her daggers in just about every way she can think of. Other than directly fighting her enemies with them, the orange kunoichi used her blades to defend herself by deflecting the blows of the weapons aimed at her and even as a tiny shield against the darts occasionally thrown at her. Heather also tried new ways to use her mace besides swinging it around. Throughout many training sessions, she discovered this seemingly unwieldy weapon was not all that different from a broadsword. She remembered seeing the way Lloyd fought with his weapon and tried to emulate his fighting style and with the mace being a heavier weapon, she took advantage of all the capabilities it had. The teal kunoichi also discovered her favorite target with her mace were the legs.

The goon dressed like a jellyfish yowled when the teal kunoichi struck the back of their knees with her heavy weapon. To add insult to injury, their already beaten up cohorts were piled up on them.

The ninja trio stood triumphant over the pile of defeated baddies. There's nothing left to worry about here but this wasn't the only place at the Shark Army's mercy.

"How do you think the others are doing?" Aria's thoughts drifted to the rest of the Secret Ninja Force.

"I'm sure they got the hang of it." Heather shrugged

The ninja at the beach were able to hold their own. It was a struggle fighting against someone with a completely different weapon but they managed to pull it off… mostly.

Luna's arms shook while trying to hold off the sword of her opponent with her sai. Unfortunately, her grip slipped and her weapons fell from her hands. The enemy shoved her onto the ground and raised their sword. The purple kunoichi let her fear get the better of her and did nothing but cower.

"Help!" The kunoichi of sound cried.

"No one's gonna save you now!" The Shark Army lackey taunted and raised the sword...

Suddenly, the blade fell from the enemy's hand before they were suddenly knocked down.

It was not Cole but Zane who rescued his distressed comrade. Next to the nindroid was the earth ninja himself, not looking too pleased by her cowardice.

"You can't keep relying on us to solve _your_ problems," Cole sternly told his timid teammate, "You're a kunoichi now. You also need to face your problems, not run away from them."

Despite reminding herself Cole was right, his words were still unpleasant for Luna to hear. She couldn't help it if she's scared. She's not perfect and so is everybody else. And she felt let down by him again.

And why does she keep feeling this way...?

Fortunately, the Shark Army's forces dwindled. The only members remaining surrendered, ending the battle at the beach.

"Shall we head back to the hideout?" Zane asked once analyzing the threat levels in the area.

"Yeah," The earth ninja nodded, "Don't wanna let poor Lloyd suffer by himself."

At the town square, the ninja also emerged victorious. As expected, the green ninja was in the center of the spotlight and the paparazzi were going nuts over him.

"Where do you live?"

"How did you become so skilled?"

"What do you think of Garmadon?"

"Who are you, really?"

The other ninja can tell how uncomfortable Lloyd got just by looking at his eyes. It's frustrating being left out of the fame but knowing the green ninja, having all the attention isn't such a great thing. Even if they had conflicts with one another, they still must work together.

"Back off! The green ninja isn't in the mood to answer stupid questions! Nothing to see here!" The red ninja stepped up to prevent the nosy people from getting close like a bouncer. The kunoichi of metal and water followed suit and defended their teammate from all the unwanted attention.

"What was that for?" Lloyd asked once they were away from the crowds, "I thought you'd be jealous and leave me there."

"Even if we get jealous or argue with each other, we're still a team. Besides, even if we weren't ninja, you're still our friend and we'll never abandon you." Kai answered.

"You're just saying that."

"I'm just as serious as I am when Nya and I play Fist-2-Face."

"And trust me," Nya quipped, "You won't believe how different he is when we do."

Lloyd scoffed but took the silver kunoichi's word for it. This was the guy who threw a fit when Iris took the last of the caramel cookies Zane made for the ninja last week.

And hopefully, nothing like that will ever happen again.

* * *

Most of the students at swimming class applauded after seeing Nya perform yet another stellar swim at the school pool. Once the confident girl emerged, classmates flocked around her, gushing over her swimming prowess like she was a star athlete.

"It's another record!"

"How do you swim so good?"

"I swear you're part mermaid!"

"It's just years of hard work and practice, nothing special." Nya answered out loud. She usually liked all the attention whenever she accomplished anything but ever since she became a kunoichi, things were starting to change, including her perceptions in many things.

'I can't give up on everything else! I have to be the greatest swimmer in Ninjago if I'm truly worthy of being the kunoichi of water!' She mentally reminded herself. At first, she just wanted to be the best at everything she does. Now, knowing that there are bigger things at stake, they drove her to be the very best she can be. If she falters even in the slightest bit, Ninjago will be at the mercy of Lord Garmadon and it will be all her fault for being an utter failure.

"That's a wrap, students! Now go and get changed!" The coach ended today's class.

"Wait a sec, where's Kai?" Nya noticed that a certain student was missing.

The silver kunoichi looked around for her brother and facepalmed at the sight of him lying face down, floating in the very end of the pool. Thankfully, the bubbles around his head indicated he's still alive.

Guess he's not the fire ninja by pure chance.

* * *

Luna strolled through the streets of Ninjago City by herself, not sure how to spend her time. She could go shopping but she didn't have enough money on her. She texted Iris but the pink kunoichi said she was busy at the moment. The kunoichi of sound soon came across the pet shop and remembered she was getting low on treats for Lorelei. Before she could go in, she caught a familiar face nearly missed amidst the crowds.

"Cole…!" Forgetting about her little detour, the shy girl was instinctively drawn to his presence.

"It's been a long time since we got to hang out outside of school or training." Cole remarked.

The already quiet girl didn't know what to say.

Should she even tell him she's going through a crisis of faith because of him?

Or that she didn't even want to see him right now?

"Wanna go and get some cake?" The black ninja finally broke the silence with an offer to indulge their sweet tooth.

"I don't have a lot of money." She tried to escape from the temptation of spending time with him.

"Don't worry. It's my treat."

And before she knew it, Luna ended up being stuck with the earth ninja for the day.

Luna remembered when she and Cole first visited this cake shop and how delighted she was when she discovered they had something else in common besides their love for music. But now, she felt like she was let down for some reason. The earth ninja was busy indulging on a slice of caramel cake while the kunoichi of sound couldn't even finish her very first slice of peach cake. Not even the fluffy texture nor fragrant sweetness were able to ease her mood.

"Is something wrong?" Cole _finally_ took notice of his teammate's glum demeanor.

"I've been doing some thinking..." The shy girl answered.

"If there's something you're having trouble with, you can tell me."

The purple kunoichi mentally cringed. _He_ was part of her problem and she had no idea what to say to him. She felt scared but of what?

Luna knew she wanted answers but what should she tell him? That her opinions of him are changing? And possibly for the worse?

Maybe she can find a way to get some answers without having to face disappointing answers.

"Do you ever have this feeling when… there's a certain person in your life… and they somehow end up letting you down…?" Luna sort-of confessed her newfound feelings as a speculative scenario.

"I know a guy like that," The black ninja replied coolly while taking another big bite of triple chocolate cake, "I call him Dad."

Luna's 'oh' was the only sound that broke the sudden awkward silence between them.

"I guess I should be thankful my dad's the way he is. At least he's not an evil warmonger." Cole finally spoke to break the uneasy silence.

'But what about how _I_ feel?' Luna was still irritated at Cole's nonchalance with just about everything.

Does he even care what else is going on besides music and food?

In fact, he does. Right now, he's thinking about what kind of movies will be coming out soon.

* * *

Aria was bored out of her mind at home. The shops had nothing new or interesting right now and she didn't feel like playing the games she had, having played them for many hours already. She tried to get her friends to come over or vice versa but none of them seemed to have enough time in their hands.

That is except one person.

The kunoichi of wind almost let out a snicker at the name 'Hot Boy'.

No need to guess who that was.

Hot Boy, er, Kai, seemed willing to spend what was left of the afternoon they had together. There may be something worth checking out in the city.

The pair found themselves strolling through the Ninjago City Park. Even the spirited Aria liked to kick back and do something more relaxing every now and then.

People came and went in the park, living their own lives though none of them would ever guess two members of the promising Secret Ninja Force dwelled among them. Everyone of all ages did whatever they pleased at the park. Older people just sat and watched the world go by, young adults were talking about various things, and kids were playing together.

"Watch your step!" Kai pulled Aria back before she could collide with a group of kids running around.

A little girl, who seemed a bit younger than the rest, had trouble keeping up and fell face down on the concrete. The poor girl started sobbing and Kai made a beeline towards her, reaching her even before her own concerned mother could.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked with a surprisingly soft voice after picking her up on her feet.

"My knee hurts!" The little girl still cried. Her mother and the fire ninja inspected her wound and can see some blood emerging from the broken skin.

"Do you have any bandages or something to clean her knee?" Kai asked the girl's mother. Luckily, she had a couple of bandages in case there were any mishaps like this one and cleaned up her daughter's wound with a damp cloth before applying the dressing.

"It still hurts!" Despite everything, the girl still cried.

"No need to cry. A scraped knee will heal in a few days as long as you take good care of it and before you know it, it'll go away." Kai did what he could to placate her.

Aria was surprised by how different Kai was when he tended to the young girl. He might be like those hotheaded idiots from all those shonen anime but that fiery disposition was thrown out the window with the way he took care of her with such tender and meticulous care.

"You seem quite good with kids." The olive-skinned girl spoke once the girl's problem was dealt with.

"It's an instinct that comes naturally if you have a younger sister. Despite everything she might've told you, Nya was an extremely curious girl when we were little. Mom and Dad always had to keep an eye on her so she wouldn't wander off or get hurt." Kai answered.

"Are you sure it was just Nya your parents worried about?"

"Hey, all kids are like that at a certain age, okay?"

"Whatever."

Despite him going back to his hot-blooded disposition, Aria was still astonished by how much Kai really cared for others, even if in his own way. She may not have known this if they hadn't joined the Secret Ninja Force. If Master Wu's saying that everything happens for a reason is true, then maybe joining the ninja may not be a mistake after all.

* * *

Jay may have a knack for tinkering with machines but it never hurt to have a little extra help.

"Nya, you mind passing me the screwdriver?" He called out to his teammate who was willing to lend a hand today.

Construction on the lightning mech was going well and the blue ninja was optimistic that it won't be long before it's finished. Even then, there's still the controls that needs to be perfected after that. He can only hope nothing goes wrong when that time comes.

"Jay! You need help on anything else?" The silver kunoichi offered more assistance.

"I'm good!" As much as he adored Nya, Jay was confident he can handle the rest of the construction of his mech by himself. If there can only be one area of expertise where he had any self-assurance, it's in building what only he can dream of.

Nya paused to take a look at her Water Strider. It's only a matter of time before she'll get to show off what her baby can do. For now, she settled on helping build the other mechs. She then opted to work on the earth mech since it was the closest one.

"Nya, you mind if I lend a hand?" The silver kunoichi's ears were suddenly filled with loud rock, giving away the identity of the person trying to speak to her.

"What is it, Cole?" She asked the black ninja in turn.

"I don't have a lot to do so I might as well help out." The laid-back teen shrugged.

"You sure? No offense, but you don't seem like the kind of guy who knows a lot about machines."

"True, but maybe there are other ways I can help."

"Fine. Just give me the stuff I need when I call for them."

"Alright."

Nya worked on the earth mech and miraculously, the loud music from Cole's radio didn't distract her a single bit. She also liked playing her favorite tunes as loud as she could. The silver kunoichi worked on the wiring in one of the earth mech's arm and soon found herself in need of some pliers.

"Cole! Pliers!" She demanded but was met with… nothing.

"Cole?" She called for him again and still no response. The kunoichi of water peered over and sighed at what she saw.

Just as expected, the earth ninja was lost in his own world of ear piercing music.

"COLE!" Nya shouted at him.

"What?" He asked with slight irritation in his voice, which was a first.

"The pliers!" The silver kunoichi demanded again.

"My bad." Cole shrugged while handing the tool to his annoyed teammate.

Nya wasn't usually one to judge but she started to wonder what Master Wu saw in Cole. He may be a good person but that alone won't make him a good ninja.

Hey. At least he's a better choice than Griffin Pevsner.

* * *

 **Don't worry. Things are starting to pick up in more ways than one. Please review & I'll be back soon.**


	63. One-Upmanship

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Wow. I can't believe this story is already past 60 chapters & nothing has happened yet. But here, there will be some conflict & hints on what's to come so please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 62: One-Upmanship

"Lloyd and Iris, you will go out and learn more about each other." Master Wu instructed to two of his young apprentices once everyone got ready for training.

"Do we _really_ have to?" Lloyd complained.

"I wasn't asking." His uncle responded dryly.

Iris didn't really mind. She endured Lloyd complaints countless times so it won't be so bad.

The young pair found themselves in the bamboo forest. It makes some sense, at least for Lloyd, who's the green ninja. As for Iris, she wasn't sure how her element would fit in. Metal doesn't seem to show up often in the natural world. If she didn't know any better, Lloyd was being biased. Besides that, their little outing was no different from all those times they had lunch together at the school rooftop.

Iris stood back and listened to Lloyd rant about how everybody in Ninjago apparently hates him.

"Every single day is the same!" The green ninja threw up his arms with exasperation, "I keep trying to convince Mom to let me be homeschooled! Besides not having to be surrounded by people I hate on a daily basis, it's also less expensive! But she keeps saying 'You'll get over it' or 'Just give them a chance'. Did she even go to high school!?"

"It's not like she's going through a tough time too." Iris rolled her eyes at his constant grousing. While she was often willing to lend an ear, even she has her limits when it comes to hearing the green ninja whine all the time. Today, Lloyd finally crossed it.

"But she _chose_ to end up where she is! I didn't!"

"It's not like she knew what was going to happen."

"It's not just her! Garmadon didn't even bother to do so much as call her until recently! He's the one who managed to ruin my life by never being there for me! Evil or not, he didn't care enough to check on her or even me! Not even once! He doesn't care for me at all!"

"If you're gonna do nothing but whine and blame everything on everyone but yourself, then I wonder why I even spend time with you!"

"In case you forgot, you're the one who approached me in the first place and I still think you did it out of sheer pity!"

"If you still think so, then why did you keep letting me hang out with you?"

"Maybe I'm just that desperate."

"I never planned to say it but before we first talked, I thought you would be just as bad as your father. Now that I think about, perhaps I wasn't entirely wrong..."

Lloyd responded with only a glare much darker than his usual grumpy expressions.

"You know what? You think you're all that but underneath those ridiculous dresses, you're not cute at all. You fool everyone into thinking you're this cutesy little princess but you're not. You're nothing but a sick, twisted bitch, lying and fooling everyone into thinking you're something you're not." The green ninja said while marching towards the kunoichi of metal until he was right in her face, his eyes carrying a coldness the ice ninja himself lacked.

"Yup. I'm a two-faced bitch." Iris replied with an equally frosty glare.

The pair were locked in a hostile staring contest for a couple of minutes before the kunoichi of metal broke from her gaze and marched off.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Lloyd hollered after her.

"You said you're just desperate but I guess that isn't stopping me." Iris said dryly while still walking off.

"Fine! I don't need you or your pity!" Lloyd turned his back on her with his arms crossed.

The green ninja still stood there even minutes after the pink kunoichi left before realizing he was alone and he's gonna have to go the same direction as her if he wants to go back home.

'Dammit...' Lloyd's face reddened with embarrassment before going the same way as Iris.

* * *

It was another morning for Karloff to drop Iris off at school and then go to work.

"Iris, are you ready?" Karloff waited for his niece to get ready for school. She always took a long time getting dressed, no matter the occasion. Fortunately, she didn't take as long in weekday mornings. Not a full minute had passed before her bedroom door opened and the engineer was taken by surprise.

"Iris…! W-what's gotten into you…!?" Karloff's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped at the strange sight.

For what could possibly be the first time since she discovered Sweet Lolita fashion, Iris wasn't wearing any clothing of that sort. She wore a simple white tank top and a denim skirt. It was really one of the clothes she took with her when she came to live with her uncle. She hadn't worn those in years to the point her uncle gotten used to her usually cutesy get-up.

"Iris, why aren't you wearing your usual clothes!?" Karloff was still shocked seeing his relative wearing something other than Darling, The Stars Shine Bright products.

"I just wanted a little change in my routine. What's wrong with that?" The violet-eyed girl shrugged.

"But what makes you want that all of a sudden!?" Karloff paused and then feared the worst…

"Did you get into a fight with someone?" He threw all apprehension out the window and sought to get to the bottom of this.

It didn't happen a lot since she started attending Ninjago High but Iris can get… stubborn… whenever she fought with her friends. She seems to have this need to assert herself over something completely trivial. Then again, Karloff was similar back in the day but now, he knows better. Too bad _she_ has yet to learn after all these years…

"I don't think I want to know what happened but you better have it resolved before you get yourself in serious trouble." Karloff warned her.

"Don't worry about me," Iris dismissed him, "If anything, you should be more worried about _him_..."

'Is she talking about Lloyd?' The engineer suddenly feared for the young outcast. He knew how Iris can get whenever she gets into an argument. If he ends up seeing that side, who knows how he'll end up. He can't control what's already happened and the least he can do is hope for the best and Iris' issues will be resolved as soon as possible.

For Lloyd's sake...

* * *

Since her Sweet Lolita get-up made Iris somewhat infamous in Ninjago High, she got a lot of attention the moment she showed up at school with a completely different look, including the ninja. Lloyd was also astonished that Iris was wearing something besides those dumb dresses.

"What-what happened…!?" He gasped at the bizarre sight of Iris wearing normal clothes.

Yes, it's quite the paradox.

"What? _Now_ you don't want me to play pretend?" The pink kunoichi narrowed her eyes at him.

"No, I didn't think you would do something like this." The green ninja confessed.

"I didn't do this _for_ you," Iris was just as cold towards him, "You said I'm not cute so I decided to have the looks to match."

"If you think you're gonna make a point by doing that, then think again. Won't that make _me_ right?"

The kunoichi of metal's face turned as pale as Zane's artificial flesh. The very edge of her lips twitched but other than that, her expression hasn't changed at all. The other ninja knew this won't end well. All they can hope for was that both of them have their wills planned out.

"Now you've _really_ done it!" Jay hissed at Lloyd before quivering in his usual hiding spot behind Nya, who didn't seem to mind acting like his living shield.

Iris finally opened her mouth to say something but it wasn't her voice that everyone heard.

"Oh my freakin' god! Just make out and get it over with!" The exasperated Kai yelled at the pair.

If looks could kill, the fire ninja would've been completely annihilated by Lloyd and Iris' death glares. Kai didn't care how lucky he was to be alive. All he wanted was for them to kiss and make up. It's just like those lame dramas his parents watch on Friday nights.

"I'm betting two weeks for them to completely forget about it." Cole made a bet with the red ninja.

"You're too lenient. I'd say _before_ a full week ends." The fiery brunette replied.

"Knock it off, you two!" Nya scolded the pair.

Lloyd and Iris were even more pissed at their teammates making bets off their little dispute but not as much as they were with each other. The warning bell finally broke some of the tension and it's a good thing they don't share their first class together.

* * *

Heather found much of her time outside of school and work nowadays being nothing but hanging out with Aria at the Petite Corner though she didn't mind. She and Aria were friends long before this ninja stuff and the food here was really good thanks to a certain android.

"I can't believe Iris did that," Aria was still shaken by the pink kunoichi's sudden change of behavior at school, "It's true Lloyd isn't exactly the most approachable guy in Ninjago but what on earth did he do to her to make her act like that?"

"I figured something happened between them when they came back from their outing the other day," Heather added, "Do you remember the look on their faces? They looked like they really wanted to kill each other. It was almost chilling."

"Oh yeah. I had trouble sleeping that night. Their faces will haunt me forever."

"Same here."

"I don't know about you but I think Iris is just trying to one-up Lloyd."

"She doesn't seem like that kind of person but you can't judge a book by its cover."

The girls were briefly interrupted by their orders arriving. Even if the food was fantastic, they were still focused on talking about the ups and downs of life.

"You know, you're really one to talk about Lloyd and Iris like that." Heather said all of a sudden.

"What? How?" Aria was clueless to what her friend was getting at.

"You know… you've been hanging out with Kai quite a bit."

"And the same goes for the rest of the team. What makes Kai so special?"

"Oh, I don't know," Heather sighed almost melodramatically, "The way you really hit it off."

"I get along with him the same way as you and everybody else! He's nothing special and we never got into any fights!"

"I didn't say anything about getting into fights."

Aria paused for several moments before realizing she's fallen right into Heather's trap.

'Shit!'

"Okay, fine. We did argue a bit before we got to know each other. It's all good, now." The impulsive girl answered out loud.

The teal kunoichi raised an eyebrow with slight doubt but took her friend's word for it.

It was only a pure coincidence that Zane's shift was done when the kunoichi also finished their food, at least that's what Heather told herself when she saw the ice ninja leave. The kunoichi of wind noticed the way her friend stared at their teammate. It's almost like those silly shojo manga she was a fan of a couple of years ago. If she knew any better, there were sparkly bubbles surrounding the pair.

" _Now_ who's talking?" Now it was Aria's turn to wear a cheeky smirk.

"Shut it." Heather snapped back.

"Shut what?" Zane heard the teal kunoichi and was confused. The door to the cafe wasn't even open and all the windows were already closed.

"Never mind..." The flower-loving kunoichi dismissed the naive nindroid's question.

Another thing that left the white ninja confused was the smirk on Aria's face. There wasn't much need for smiles, especially after seeing what happened with Lloyd and Iris.

* * *

Why anyone would live in Ninjago City is probably the most enigmatic question of all time. The forces of Lord Garmadon never leave the city alone for at least four days straight. The townspeople's hopes for the city to reach a record four days without an attack was dashed by the Shark Army's next move.

"Hand over every valuable things you've got!" One division of the Shark Army participating in today's raid headed for the upper district of Ninjago City where the wealthy elite resided. All the money they could get out of this will help Garmadon reach his goals soon.

The defenseless aristocrats found themselves at the mercy of the Shark Army. They don't know how to protect themselves against a bunch of ruffians who never set foot here until now.

"Take whatever you want! Just leave us alone!" The wealthy citizens immediately cowered.

The baddies were more than willing to help themselves but someone else had other plans.

"Not so fast!" A voice that didn't belong to any of the rich people grabbed everyone's attention.

Everyone turned to the source of that voice and much to the citizen's relief (and Shark Army's horror), two members of the Secret Ninja Force arrived to save the day.

The white ninja and black ninja were apparently the ones sent to stop this group of baddies. Standing back to back, both ninja had an air of charisma that made more than a few young ladies at the scene swoon. The two vigilantes didn't waste any time to get the inevitable battle started.

"NINJA GO!" The duo brandished their weapons and the Shark Army did the same in turn.

With just Cole fighting in the front line, he would've been easily overwhelmed by the numerous Shark Army members if it weren't for Zane taking out several of them with arrows guided by his precise aim. The ice ninja felt a strong sense of motivation as he took out any bad guys that tried to sneak up on his teammate. After all, he was programmed to defend those who can't defend themselves. Cole may be a capable fighter but it was unrealistic for him to be able to handle an entire platoon by himself. Zane also made sure to put any Shark Army underlings targeting the citizens out of commission. It was soon clear that the black ninja used direct confrontation with the brunt force while the white ninja stood in the back, defending him as well as using his arrows to prevent any enemies that escaped his partner's attention from doing much else. The two worked well together as a team and it paid off with their task ending up a success.

"What do these guys have that we don't!?" The last standing Shark Army lamented.

"Oh, I don't know," The black ninja started, "Say… actual relevance."

"Wait, what?" The lackey had no time to think about it since the buff ninja knocked them out with just a swift punch.

With all the bad guys taken out, the citizens were finally assured they were safe and cheered for their young saviors.

"Let's go see how the others are doing." Cole said briskly once it was clear the Shark Army won't be a threat here for the rest of the day. He didn't see his father in the crowds cheering for the ninja and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Should we check on the citizens first to see if they are safe?" Zane responded, letting his urge to help those in need dominate his thoughts.

"They'll be fine."

Zane sensed a high probability Cole's father may have something to do with his reluctance to remain here any longer and he won't be getting any direct answers by simply asking. Then again, he was also concerned for the rest of his comrades.

* * *

The green ninja had only the red ninja for company at the main shopping district of Ninjago City. The Shark Army, being the foolish buffoons they are, thought they had this in the bag. The two ninja had a lot of experience training in the way of the ninja by now and easily beat up the enemies. That doesn't mean the ninja are completely invincible. Lloyd's aim began to falter when fatigue began to take its toll on him. Kai wasn't one to give up so easily, however. The red ninja had more stamina, partially thanks to years of kendo practice, and took out all the minions his teammate couldn't handle.

"You're lucky I didn't use any _real_ fire or else you would've become seafood by now!" The boisterous red ninja bragged once all the bad guys were beaten to a pulp.

The crowds cheered for the ninja after another successful mission.

And that's usually when the more… 'devoted' fans… start popping up.

"Are you two a couple?" A fangirl asked after pushing her way to the front. Lloyd can tell she was one of _those_ fangirls. The 'moe' T-shirt and crappy Suzumiya Haruko wig said it all.

"...What…?" The green ninja asked flatly with an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"You two!" The cringy girl pointed at him and his teammate, "Are you two seeing each other?"

"Me? With _him_!? Hell no! That's just creepy!" The ninja leader reacted like he saw a bloodworm.

Even Kai heard about the more depraved fangirls and the sick fantasies they have. He never thought it was possible to be so out of touch with reality unless you're Lord Garmadon.

"Let's get the hell out of here." The red ninja whispered to his teammate as he guided him back to the base and away from this maniac.

* * *

At the warehouse, the ninja were celebrating a job well done. Lloyd and Iris who were still pissed off at one another, were at opposite ends of the building. Master Wu observed his students reveling in their latest victory. They've certainly improved a lot since they started training but it will still be a long time before they're ready for the real challenges that await them in the all too near future.

"Master Wu, is something troubling you?" Zane noticed his mentor's somber expression.

"I'll be fine," The old teacher dismissed the nindroid, "You should make the most out of your victory."

Wu vividly remembered what he saw in the spirit smoke.

It's only a matter of time before his students will know the truth and what's truly at stake. The path to becoming a true ninja will be full of trials and tribulations and Garmadon wasn't the sole source of it. No, many conflicts will be much closer to home. Having walked in their shoes years ago, he knew the ninja will have many lessons they'll learn the hard way. Life can be cruel but one must press forward. That was yet another lesson that he learned through much hardship.

Time will tell if the ninja will do the same...

* * *

It's been almost a week since Lloyd and Iris had their argument and yet they remained hostile of one another. Heather and Aria still believed they were just being petty while Kai remained adamant in his belief that they should just kiss and make up. Whatever it is, the rest of the team knew better than to provoke them.

Even during training, Jay avoided Lloyd and Iris as much as he can. They still seemed pissed over what happened before. The moment Master Wu let the ninja have a break, the lightning ninja moved as far away as possible from both of them, or at least Iris. Lloyd was working on the mechs as usual but this time, everyone knew better than to approach him in the middle of his work. While the green ninja got started on constructing Zane's ice mech, the lightning ninja settled on working on the wind mech for Aria. It was easy enough for him since he already worked on his own similar mech for a long time. He can be completely absorbed in his work and was oblivious to a looming shadow creeping towards him.

"Gotcha!" Jay finally found the wrench in his toolbox and it was at that moment the shadow was right above him…

"Gotcha!" The owner of the shadow grabbed the lightning ninja's shoulders.

Jay shrieked and jumped ten feet in the air and whipped around to find the identity of his assailant.

"Nya! Don't do that!" The blue ninja was actually reduced to tears by her little prank.

"Come on, Jay. It's just a joke." The kunoichi of water tried to console him.

"Jokes are supposed to be funny! This is not!" The timid teen cried.

"You know I'm not out to get you." Nya placed a soothing hand over his shoulder. The blue ninja had this vulnerability to him that somehow added to his charm. Even the silver kunoichi noticed it and felt some sort of conviction to protect him, even if he was a genius with machines and displayed potential as a ninja. She stood by her comrade's side as he cried all the tears he had today.

"Are you done, now?" Nya asked after the blue ninja's been crying for several minutes.

"Y-yeah..." Jay sniffled.

Unbeknownst to the pair, the fire ninja was watching… and he wasn't happy about it.

'If that pipsqueak thinks he's gonna make a move on Nya, he'll have to go through me!'

Looks like those trials have just begun for poor Jay…

* * *

 **It may not seem like it but this is NOT the big fight I have planned for Lloyd & Iris. Also, for you own sake, do NOT look up bloodworms. I'm not even trying to be ironic. Just don't. I also plan to have Garmadon show up in the next chapter so at least there's something for you all to look forward to. Until then, see you later.**


	64. Money Ninja

**Discovering Destiny**

 **With Season 9 now fully aired without any advertisements, now CN can go back to milking the already dead Teen Titans Go cash cow, which brings us to the next chapter of this story. This chapter will be more focused on humor as Lloyd faces the consequences of being the most popular ninja. As always, please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 63: Money Ninja

With the Secret Ninja Force having a surge in popularity, their faces started showing up in nearly every product imaginable from clothing to even food products. Of course being the leader and the one who got the most attention, it was the green ninja who was the most prominent on kids' lunch boxes and fruit snack packages. It wasn't enough half a year and the green ninja was already giving Ilsa from that overrated Freeze movie a run for her money as the face that will show up next to the words 'cash cow' in the dictionary.

Ninjago High was certainly no exception with all the hype and unrelated products.

All the attention his persona was getting did wonders for Lloyd's mood. It was nigh impossible for him to go anywhere without seeing his own face plastered on cheap products flaunted by the very people who ostracized him. He was pretty much the only student in school who wasn't wearing anything that had the green ninja's face on them nor flaunting any other items made in his likeness. Even the nerds who managed to be one step above him in the school caste system were showing off the green ninja merchandise they owned. Lloyd could easily go out and buy some green ninja stuff but Kai was already the narcissist of the group and it'll be more than a little uncomfortable if you buy stuff with your face on it. That's kinda like… never mind.

Lloyd and Luna shared art class together and even after joining the Secret Ninja Force, still didn't talk to each other very much outside of training. Lloyd was already rather unapproachable and Luna was the shy type but today was a little different in more ways than one. Their class took place outside for today so the students can learn to draw real life scenery but of all the places Ms. Moorington just had to choose was the beach within sight of Garmadon's volcano lair. With everybody else paired up, the young teammates found themselves working together for today's lesson.

"Now, students," The somewhat unconventional teacher guided the class, "We aren't here just to soak up the rays of the sun. Only through hard work can we truly appreciate when good things come to our lives. Now get out your sketchbooks because we're gonna start our lesson on drawing backgrounds..."

"I can't believe my luck," The ever cynical Lloyd grumbled, "First everybody hates me and now they're worshiping me for something I was forced to do."

"You signed up to be a ninja out of your own volition if I recall." Luna corrected him.

"It's still the same," The green ninja brushed her off, "They only like a part of me and they don't even know it's the same guy they hate underneath that mask so it doesn't really count."

"But at least they're not paying attention to you."

"I guess there's that… Yet I can never seem to escape from unwanted attention..."

The music-loving girl felt a sense of foreboding from her teammate's attitude. She always knew being an idol would garner a lot of attention. It wouldn't mesh well with someone as shy as her, even if it's something she always aspired to be. Now that she saw all the attention taking its toll on the outcast, she started to fear that's what awaits her if she keeps pursuing her goal.

'Don't get all wrapped up in this now, Luna,' She scolded herself, 'You still don't know what happened between him and Iris. You're better off not knowing anyway.'

The kunoichi of sound observed her cynical classmate glaring at the big volcano structure poking out of the otherwise serene ocean. The way the inner corners of his eyebrows twitched and his fingernails clawing at the edge of his sketchbook can only imply the worst.

"Uh… there's other things to look at besides… you know..." Luna tried to cheer up the green ninja.

"It's either this or having to deal with _that_." Lloyd pointed at the other students who had the audacity to gossip about the green ninja within sight of Lord Garmadon's volcano base. As unbelievable as it is, just staring at the place where his… mother's ex... lived was the slightly lesser of two evils. He paused to look at the sketch he was working on.

The beach in his sketchbook looked the same was the one his class was in save for one big difference. The volcano lair wasn't there and instead, the Mech Dragon flew in the skies. He knew he was risking giving himself away by drawing something the green ninja would be riding one day, even before such a thing happens. Ms. Moorington came to inspect him and Luna and he flipped his sketchbook to a new page before she could see his first sketch.

"Luna, keep on eye on Lloyd in case he does anything shady." The art teacher told the purple kunoichi as if warning her about her classmate.

"O-okay..." The shy girl complied.

The green ninja turned his back on the volcano base and focused on the skyline of Ninjago City and in hearing range of all the green ninja gossip. Guess he was wrong about which option was worse.

'I don't even want to know what Garmadon thinks of all this…'

No matter the weather, not a single person in Ninjago City can tell what kind of twisted and depraved activities are going on inside the dark lord's fiery stronghold...

* * *

The volcano chamber shook from the echoes of Lord Garmadon's frustrated roar.

One of the dark lord's strange commands the Shark Army could never refuse was to gather in his office and hear him go on about how his plans are constantly hindered by the meddling Secret Ninja Force.

"I've done everything in my power to make all of Ninjago worship me but what do I have to show for it!? Nothing!" Garmadon went on another rampage in front of his minions, who didn't dare talk back at the bad-tempered warmonger.

The dark lord paused for a moment on his desk. He scratched lines down the wooden surface with the claws on all four hands and even if he didn't say anything, those glowing red eyes burning with hatred said more than any words could. His rants often last for hours on end and the Shark Army knew better than to assume he was done already.

"All the ninja have been ruining my plans but the one who pisses me off the most is the green ninja! I was here before him yet he's the one who gets all attention! What does he have that I don't!?"

Again, his lackeys were too afraid to answer, not that it stopped their overlord from complaining.

"I've tried everything to make everyone submit to me! All my ideas from Garmadon Spice Lattes to My Little Oni toys and even the Teen Dragons Go TV series have all been rejected! Everyone in this city are a bunch of uncultured swines with no taste at all! I swear, just throw these guys a -"

The dark lord stopped in the middle of his rant he heard that strange squeaking noise. He pointed his blood red eyes downward to the cause and felt several veins pop at the sight before him.

"What. Are. Those?" Garmadon asked, his voice dark with burning rage.

 _Now_ Garmadon realized even his own minions were getting in on the green ninja craze. To his horror, they were all wearing the brand new Nin-Shoe-tsu footwear despite it being aimed for kids, complete with light-up soles whenever they take a step. To rub even more salt on the wound, all of them chose the green ninja. It was kind of a miracle in its own right because the green ninja shoes were often sold out within a few days of release.

"Uh, I dunno…" One of the dark lord's slaves sheepishly confessed.

"We just thought they look kinda dashing." Another goon added.

"For over ten years, I've been working my ass off trying to conquer Ninjago, dealing with my parents' son's bullshit, being rejected by the only woman who ever loved me, and having a son who just won't understand me! You buffoons only made it worse with your endless failures when you could've bought me closer to my goals sooner! Worst of all is the green ninja who's stealing the attention I deserve..."

The sea creature-dressed minions shrunk back and quivered while Garmadon stomped towards them. The decorative fires in the office grew with the dark lord's rage as he approached them. They can even see the flames of rage burning in their master's eyes and if possible, his entire body was consumed in an inferno of raw hatred and fury.

"And you… ARE WEARING… **HIS MERCHANDISE!"**

Garmadon almost lunged at his underlings but was interrupted by a loud slurping noise. The dark lord and his traitorous servants, whose mouths were frozen mid-scream, slowly turned to the source of the sound. Turns out it was coming from the latest General #1 sipping some bubble tea. It would've been all good and dandy if he hadn't chosen a cup with the green ninja's face printed on it.

"...Thirsty…?" The Shark Army higher-up chortled nervously and offering the remainder of his drink.

" _ **GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! ! ! ! ! ! !"**_

"What the -!?" Luna almost fell to her knees thanks to the massive tremors coming from the erupting volcano base. While eruptions were a normal thing here, this one was more powerful than usual. Even the regular beachcombers and the rest of the art class were startled by the sudden eruption.

"Keep walking." Lloyd urged her to keep going. As expected, everyone from the beach goers to his own classmates immediately glared daggers at him.

"But -"

"Keep walking, dammit." The green ninja kept pushing her forward. The sooner they leave, the better.

Yup. It's just another day in Ninjago.

* * *

It's been a little over a week since Iris stopped wearing her Sweet Lolita clothes and while Karloff still didn't know what was going on, he's had enough and plans on getting to the bottom of this. The very first action he took once he got home was to call Iris over.

"What now, Uncle?" The violet-eyed girl sighed as she seated herself in front of her uncle.

"Iris, this isn't you." Karloff started what will be a very lengthy talk with his relative.

"What are you talking about? I'm still being me, am I?"

"Not exactly. You always liked wearing those frilly dresses and all of a sudden, you stop. Be honest, Iris. Tell me what happened."

"I got into a little spat. That's all."

"You never did anything like this whenever you had these 'little spats'. Tell me the truth." Now Karloff was in serious mode and Iris knew he won't let her go until she spills the beans.

"I... had an argument with Lloyd..." She cringed when she finally told her uncle the truth.

'I knew it.'

"What was it about?" Karloff continued interrogating his niece.

"He said that I'm not cute like my clothing, saying I'm fooling everyone into thinking that. If that's what he really thinks, then I'll show him what I'm _really_ like..."

"Since when did you care about what other people think? This isn't the first time someone didn't like the way you dress and that didn't stop you from wearing what you want. Why are you letting another person's opinion get to you all of a sudden?"

"I just didn't like the way he went on like I was those two-faced mean girls." Iris crossed her arms and puffed up her cheeks, inadvertently making her look even more infantile.

"But this isn't you at all." Karloff wasn't fazed by his niece's quirks.

"Really? Then who am I without my dresses?"

"You're a strong girl who has even the courage to be with someone the rest of Ninjago City hates. Even with all that, you're still human and you're not perfect nor are you the center of the universe. Nobody is. You need to accept that too."

"Easy for you to say..."

"Believe me, I had the same problem as you. I got mad whenever someone disagreed with me or even get into an argument. I know what it's like."

"Even if someone makes assumption's about you?"

"Of course. When I first left Almaz, a lot of people thought I was an idiot because I couldn't speak and write the Common Tongue very well. I still went out to prove myself -"

"But you learned the Common Tongue anyway."

"I didn't do it for anyone, just like how you never wore those dresses for anyone else but you."

"Even if someone makes different assumptions about you?"

"I still don't know what Lloyd said but what I do know is wearing those kind of clothes have made you happy. You shouldn't forsake something you love over such a trivial thing. Iris, is this really the way you want to be?"

The violet-eyed girl didn't say anything or even look at her relative. She already had trouble thinking of a genuine answer.

Why did she love wearing Sweet Lolita clothes besides simply liking cute things?

"You don't have to say anything," Karloff seemingly read her mind, "You're still young so you still have plenty of time to find the answers. Just wear what you want, no matter what Lloyd says."

"I'll try..."

* * *

Lloyd wasn't looking good when he arrived at the hideout.

"What's up with you?" Heather stared at the green ninja's dour expression.

"Did you have to sit next to Chen?" Aria asked.

"Have you been rick rolled by any chance?" Zane interrogated.

Lloyd narrowed his emerald eyes with exasperation towards the nindroid. He may be a technologically advanced machine but his sense of humor is still way behind the times.

"Maybe we shouldn't be bothering Lloyd…" Jay quivered.

"Yeah," Cole added, "He's always kinda upset but this is different."

"Honestly, I don't blame him," Nya shrugged, "I'd be in a bad mood too if I see people who hate me for no good reason suddenly like my persona and carry stuff with my face on it around."

"How could he be sad when he's a celebrity!?" Kai exploded in another outburst, "Now everybody in the whole city adores him! Isn't that what he wants!?"

"I meant actual acceptance, not being part of a cheap cash grab." Lloyd finally spoke, his voice hoarse from all the stress of being mutated into a cash cow.

"I don't think it's that bad..." Luna said.

"Not that bad!?" Lloyd suddenly snapped. And here comes the rant.

"Look! Green ninja T-shirts! Green ninja backpacks! Green ninja plates! My face is on everything!" The ninja leader showed his cohorts a small fraction of all the unrelated products with the ninja, especially him, being flaunted on them.

"They may be pushing it a bit but I think you're blowing this out of proportion." Cole tried to convince his teammate to give it a rest.

"And look at this!" The green ninja picked up a bag of frozen veggies with, you guessed it, his likeness plastered on it, "Green Ninja Peas! 'The green ninja's favorite vegetable'!? I've been turned into a cold cash cow! What the hell does being a ninja have to do with any of this stuff!? What does being a ninja have to do with _food_!? And green peas are _not_ my favorite vegetables! I don't even like vegetables in the first place! Now this is just false advertising!"

"Where did you even get all that stuff?" Aria pointed out the green ninja paraphernalia Lloyd got from out of nowhere.

"Lloyd, don't forget what is truly important," Master Wu lectured him, "Being famous is not the same as fulfilling your duty."

"Then what _is_ my duty?"

"That is for you and only you to define. I have told you already so you should remember by now." The cryptic mentor retreated back to his little corner with a cup of tea.

"Wait a minute. Where's Iris?" Jay noticed someone was missing.

"Did any of you see her?" Kai asked the other ninja.

"No, and I didn't even see her in school today." Luna answered.

"You sure about that?" Lloyd retorted, "Maybe you still don't recognize her in anything besides those stupid dresses she used to wear."

"Come on, Lloyd. Not this again." Nya groaned.

"Sorry I'm late!" A familiar voice approached the entrance to the ninja lair.

"Iris…!"

The ninja were taken aback by the kunoichi of metal wearing her trademark Sweet Lolita get-up again. She didn't seem as mad as she was after that argument but looks can be decieving.

"Okay, where's the catch?" Lloyd still didn't trust the pink kunoichi's return to cutesy fashion.

"Don't think I forgot about what you said the other day," The pink kunoichi glared at the green ninja, "I don't give a damn about what you think. I'm still wearing whatever I want, whether you like it or not."

"Be my guest." The green ninja's reply was just as icy as before but Iris now knew better than to let it get to her. She can't wait to see the look on his face once she proves him wrong.

* * *

As usual, Zane made some homemade treats for his teammates to snack on during breaks. Everything he made was unbelievably delicious but it's the cookies that had everyone flocking around the white ninja. Today, the nindroid made soft sugar cookies topped with frosting and sprinkles. But these were nothing like the ones everyone would find in grocery stores. The quality, flavor, and texture would put any store-bought cookie to shame just like all the cookies the ice ninja baked. Even with the fantastic taste, there was still one more surprise that made these cookies even better. The nindroid even baked the cookies with an indulgent caramel filling that took them to a whole new level of deliciousness. The only sound that was emitted within the warehouse were the content munching of homemade cookies.

Even Lloyd was so consumed in sweet cookie bliss he almost forgot about his dilemma over becoming the biggest marketing scheme in Ninjago City… Almost...

Lloyd almost spat out already-chewed cookie when he saw that the ice ninja was serving the cookies on the green ninja plates he showed his teammates earlier. It was like a weird case of inception.

"Is there something amiss, Lloyd?" Zane noticed his teammate's suddenly tense expression.

As he recalled, he didn't make any mistakes when making the cookies.

"N-no..." The green ninja coughed.

Iris found herself surrounded by some of her confused teammates during their snack break. Of course they would ask a ton of questions over her decision to wear Sweet Lolita clothing again.

"You know what? I'm gonna risk jinxing it," Aria started, "Are you still mad at Lloyd?"

"Of course!" The kunoichi of metal answered like it's the most matter-of-fact thing ever.

"But why are you wearing those frilly clothes again?" Now it was Heather's turn to ask questions.

"As pissed as I am with Lloyd, I decided why should I care what he thinks? If he doesn't like it, too bad. I'll wear whatever the hell I want. Plus, I'll make him regret ever making assumptions about me and I want to see the look on his face while I make him deal with it. What kind of sick person would I be to not let such a huge opportunity go?"

"A thot." Nya answered bluntly.

* * *

Zane didn't mind any of his teammates but he felt a stronger sense of acceptance with Jay. Maybe it's the blue ninja's penchant for technology and machinery. Even with all that, never once did he call him 'just a robot'. That and he was the one who came up with the term 'nindroid' as a way of integrating him into the team.

"Zane! Check this out!" Jay showed the humanoid the newest device churned out by Borg Industries.

"What is it?" Joining the pair was Cole, who claimed he didn't have anything better to do as usual. The ice ninja also didn't mind having the black ninja around, not even having the muscular teen leaning on his shoulder like right now. His sturdy endoskeleton provided plenty of support.

The trio stared at the newest cutting edge tool in cooking… a cup noodle maker. The contraption was advertised to do all the work in preparing instant noodles so college students can have more time to do the really important stuff aka screaming and crying.

"Oh my god! I literally can't even! I can't!" Jay squealed over the new device.

"You cannot what?" The ever naive Zane asked.

"That's the point. He can't." Cole dismissed the nindroid's lack of knowledge with pop culture.

"This thing could be useful for making the Jay Walker Noodle Deluxe!" The lightning ninja exclaimed.

"Jay… that was just some cup noodles with potato chips on top." The black ninja reminded him.

"And you spilling half of it onto your pants is within my memory bank." The ice ninja recalled.

"Oh yeah," Cole chuckled, "Can you show it again?"

"No!" Jay cried.

"Both options each got one vote so I cannot show it." The nindroid declined, much to the latter's relief.

Thank goodness Ninjago City is a democracy.

* * *

 **Apparently, Iris still hasn't fully learned her lesson and yes, she'll be facing the consequences later. Also, Lloyd & Garmadon show they're definitely related with their lengthy rants.**

 **Side note, there's not much time left before my poll closes so please vote if you have time.**

 **Please review!**


	65. Turn It Up

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Happy update day! This chapter will be mostly lighthearted but we'll start to see some changes in the story so please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 64: Turn It Up

Jay wasn't just a tinkerer with machines. He also liked to add his own creative flair in everything from art to cooking. Since it's the weekend, the blue ninja spent many long hours into the night working on his latest contraption. Trial and error was part of the norm with this sort of stuff so Jay didn't mind as long as his failures weren't in public. After many attempts that ended in tears, the lightning ninja can finally bask in the glory of his latest success.

"At last!" The sleep-deprived blue ninja gazed at his greatest creation yet.

"Jay, you should get some sleep." Ed reminded his son after going through his 3 AM bathroom trip.

"But it's finally complete!" His son's face was illuminated by the glow of the greatest invention of the Walker family, which was a…

"A sandwich?" Ed was baffled by his child's reverence for a simple dish.

"This isn't just a sandwich," Jay started, "I finally got the perfect combination of flavors, textures, and aromas to come up with the _ultimate_ sandwich!"

The carefully selected fillings sandwiched between slices of soft whole wheat bread were a succulent chicken breast deep-fried without any coating to give it a delicate and crispy surface, fresh shredded cabbage seasoned with a hint of ginger and citrus, pickled carrots that still had some crunch to them, and a special homemade mayonnaise flavored with sriracha and fresh herbs.

"I won't mind doing a little taste test for you." Ed offered to do a taste test for his child.

Father and son split up the sandwich and opened their mouths to take a big bite…

A bunch of complex flavors worked together to create a flavorful synergy that blew their minds. Each bite was an explosion of deliciousness that knocked them off their feet and the turbulence was almost enough to blow all their clothes off but didn't. This isn't one of _those_ stories. And Jay's still a teen and he's with his father. That would be just wrong beyond all reason.

"You really outdid yourself, son." Ed commended Jay after scarfing down his share.

"I'm gonna call it the Jay Walker Mega Ultra Super Thunderbolt Supreme Sandwich with extra bacon coming soon!" The inventive teen raised up the sandwich like a holy grail.

"Ed? Jay?" Edna's voice called from the master bedroom, "What are you doing in the kitchen and why am I only joining in this conversation now?"

"It's nothing, Mom!" Jay answered, "I was just doing another cooking experiment!"

"Okay! Just make sure not to destroy the microwave!" His mother seemed quite nonchalant about her son working into the late (or is it early) hours into the morning.

Then again, the Walker family is anything but ordinary.

* * *

One does not simply know they're in Ninjago City until it's under attack like right now. Nobody knows why people keep going to the beach when it's the easiest place for the Shark Army to attack. Seriously, even the strange force that's churning out this dumpster fire is starting to question why anyone would want to live in this place.

The ninja watched the mayhem unravel from their base. Just beat up the baddies, get overshadowed by Lloyd, and it'll be over with. They already know what to do.

"Come on! We gotta go!" Kai didn't hesitate to grab his weapons and don his mask, still hot-blooded as always.

"What? And let everyone plaster my face onto everything in Ninjago?" Lloyd scoffed.

"Lloyd, it's just like every other fifteen minutes of fame," Nya rolled her light blue eyes, "Everyone will forget about you once the next big thing comes along."

"But what could be bigger than a bunch of ninja who fight the forces of evil everyday?" He asked...

The Secret Ninja Force found themselves face to face with a large shark-shaped vessel rising out of the sea. It was easily larger than a pick-up truck and the large eyes serving as headlights nearly blinded the young ninja. Lloyd felt his own words come back to haunt him.

If only everyone could see the green ninja's face underneath his hood right now.

"Try and stop us now, ninja!" The Shark Army inside the vessel taunted the vigilantes.

"Lloyd, _now_ might be the right time to call the Mech Dragon." Aria urged the green ninja.

"How the hell am I gonna do that!?" He hissed, "I don't have a remote control and it's too late to run!"

"You better come up with something quick or else we're fish food!" Kai pointed at the shark.

The mechanical shark charged up what could be some sort of super attack. The ninja knew they didn't stand much of a chance against the monstrosity.

"Guys, brace yourselves cuz this might hurt a little..." Lloyd stood his ground when the shark was done charging up and shot a massive beam from its maw...

* * *

Master Wu paced in front of his students who looked absolutely terrible. Their uniforms were charred and even with their hoods on, their faces were bruised and their hair were a mess, even Zane's, which was quite an accomplishment. With all the journalists at the scene, he suffered having watch his own students get their asses handed to them on live TV.

"What could be bigger?" Heather imitated Lloyd's previous boast in a mocking voice, "Lloyd, your dad built a _volcano_ in the middle of the ocean. Clearly you didn't see this coming."

"How would I know this was gonna happen!?" The green ninja argued, "It's not every day Garmadon's lackeys have their own mech they dished out from out of nowhere!"

"But the real question is _how_ they managed to build one so quickly?" Luna added.

"Unless _someone_ here is spying on us..." Aria narrowed her eyes at her teammates with suspicion. Kai was rather quick to smack her upside the head for even suspecting the ninja.

"I am very disappointed in you. However, these results aren't entirely your fault. I am also to blame for not preparing you for a confrontation like the one you've just experienced." Master Wu started in yet another one of his weird lectures.

"Wow, I thought I'd never see the day Master Wu admitted doing something wrong." Cole remarked. Of course it earned him a whack on the head by his mentor's bamboo staff.

"Even if we had come prepared, we would have had only a forty-two percent chance of success," Zane ran a hypothesis in his thought processors, "There was little we could have done anyway."

"As the old saying goes, we make mistakes so we can learn from them… unless you learn nothing. That would be a _real_ mistake. As I said before, the past is in the past. Perhaps it is now time to begin using the ninja mechs."

"But not all of them are finished." Jay reminded his teacher.

"Then make do with what you can. Learn to be grateful for what you have."

* * *

Even if he had to suffer a very humiliating defeat, Lloyd was kinda hoping consumerism will drop him for some other poor sap. Indeed there were some people in Ninjago High who talked about throwing away their green ninja stuff. Even some trash cans were filled with green ninja merchandise. The green ninja himself thought he'll be relieved but now, he felt like he was being attacked. In a very weird way, he wasn't wrong.

'Dammit, Lloyd! Isn't this what you want?' The green ninja was all too aware of the double standards he just exhibited.

Wait, why is he acting like someone's reading his own inner thoughts? Has everything he has done up to this point really be manipulated by a strange force beyond this universe?

"Lloyd!" Of course everyone would know where Lloyd is thanks to Kai's perpetually loud greetings. The fire ninja remained oblivious to everyone now glaring at the outcast. If only Kai was as sensible as he was protective.

"I bet you're relieved with everyone not worshiping you like little girls with Ilsa." Iris said.

"Not really..." Lloyd can still hear some students trash talk the green ninja.

"First, you hated having your face put on everything and _now_ you wanna be the center of attention!?" Aria complained, "Do you even know what you want!?"

"Look who's talking." Heather quipped.

"This is different!"

"But the worst thing about this is that we might be seeing Garmadon's face in everything." Luna shuddered.

'Here comes that chest pain.' Lloyd winced when his mole hurt...

* * *

Back in Garmadon's volcano lair, the dark lord watched all the interviews of the locals denouncing the green ninja with utter delight.

"This is delicious!" The four-armed warmonger cackled, "With the pesky green bean out of the way, I can finally pitch my ideas and become the face on every single product in Ninjago City! Now hurry up and get my Garmutella spread idea pitched! Oh, and give me my personal Garmutella jar this instant!"

A couple of servants fetched the jar of hazelnut spread flavored sweetened condensed evil and some bread to spread it on, also made with condensed evil. The dark lord munched away on his homemade treat while replaying the scene of his mechanical shark completely destroying the ninja.

"Yes! Yes!" The dark lord cackled while he replayed the moment the shark slammed its large tail down on the white ninja and orange kunoichi and sending a massive sand cloud.

"It may be stupid to ask this now but -" One of Garmadon's minions attempted to speak up.

"Then don't ask!" The goon's four-armed boss cut them off.

"My lord, we contacted every food businesses in the city and they all rejected the Garmatella," Some other lackey interrupted his boss' 'me time', the poor fool, "They say they still want to keep prioritizing the green ninja frozen veggies and start a white ninja ice cream brand."

"And since your mood's been ruined, _now_ I can finally ask this. How did you manage to build a shark in a snap?" The previous servant decided to risk their wellbeing and asked too.

Garmadon's face furrowed into a deep scowl and he turned his head slowly towards them. His silence only made it even worse and the Shark Army had a feeling this won't be the last time he does this...

* * *

Dr. Julien's son may not be human but that doesn't mean he can't have the same experiences as every other person in the city. The old engineer liked to give his son plenty of opportunities to be a person.

"Zane, is there any movies you would like to see?" Dr. Julien asked his son upon stopping by the movie theater. They didn't have much to do so why not?

The humanoid stared at the schedules and his optics zoomed in on one movie that will air soon.

"My friends once said they would like to see the Silicon Land movie." He pointed at the title. Lucky for them, there was a show going on in several minutes.

"Why not see it for ourselves?" His father suggested, "We have plenty of time."

Inside the theater, the Julien family waited patiently for the movie to start. Zane was already elated to experience life the same way as humans, no, people. Even if the movie isn't playing yet, the ice ninja was already having the time of his life.

"Look Father, I am living like a person." The android said like a giddy child.

"Indeed you are, Zane." Dr. Julien was proud of his son. He found his son's eagerness to live amongst the people of Ninjago City endearing. Such enthusiasm was sadly very rare nowadays.

The lights darkened and a quiet humming sound started to resonate. Everyone's faced shifted to pure dread while the nindroid remained oblivious. Even his father looked uneasy.

"Zane, duck!" The engineer warned the android, "It's the sound system promo!"

The oblivious robot didn't know why his father and everyone else ducked until he was dragged down with his parent just when the promo started. The loud sound blasted through the speakers, shook the room, and even bits of the ceiling crumbled down on the audience who weren't blown off their seats by the sheer volume until it was finally over.

"Turn it up! TURN IT UP!" An elderly moviegoer complained.

"This promotion has been brought to you by NHX. Blowing out eardrums since 1994." A word from the sponsors spoke and then the audience cheered.

"Why are they applauding, Father?" Zane asked once they got up, "The movie still has yet to begin."

"Sometimes, it's the little things that tend to be more appreciated." Dr. Julien answered.

The movie went on for quite some time and so far, it delivered in the comedy. The dynamics of the five main characters was the backbone for the humor and much of the things they said had the audience guffawing. Even the mild-mannered Jared managed to chime in with some gems.

"You'll get over this," The tall and pale young man attempted to cheer up his friend, "We always suffer at some point to find what we want and I know that form personal experience. I found my biological father in the militia in the Ozarks. You'll get through this."

While everyone in the theater guffawed, Zane still couldn't quite grasp human reactions to comedy.

"Laugh out loud. Laugh out loud. Laugh out loud." The ice ninja repeated in a mantra.

The audience collectively shushed the android, who obeyed but still wondered how he was being rude when everyone else were pretty loud. Dr. Julien took it all in stride. His son was learning, which was an integral part of living.

* * *

"That movie was hilarious," Dr. Julien said once they left the theater, "At least not all of the jokes were about being as mean-spirited as possible like too many comedy shows nowadays."

The pair heard a rumble coming from the human's stomach.

"You must be hungry and it is around this time that I prepare dinner for you. Shall we return home?" Zane attempted to escort his father back to their apartment.

"You've done more than enough cooking all these years. There's nothing wrong with indulging a little."

"Is there any particular culinary establishments in the city would you like to try?"

"I've been thinking about trying the Grand Steakhouse. I heard good reviews about this place. It's a bit pricey but I guess there's the perks of being considered one of the greatest geniuses of Ninjago..."

Thanks to Zane's navigation system, they made it to the kitsch restaurant before the time when all the bourgeois upper-class snobs start piling in and the line in front wasn't too long.

"We would like a table for two, please." Zane spoke to the server in front of the restaurant once it was his father's turn.

"We'll have a table ready for you in several minutes. Please be patient." The maître d' told them.

Before the pair could sit and wait, the woman stopped them, particularly the young man.

"Wait, aren't you that teenage robot from Ninjago High people are talking about?" She asked the pale humanoid and inspected him.

There's no way a human could have skin in that complexion and still be healthy enough to even stand and human eyes most certainly do _not_ glow.

"Yes..." Zane still hated being reminded of the type of difference that set him apart from humans, even away from a more judgemental environment like school. His father can tell how uncomfortable he was and had a bad feeling about this...

"And what does that have to do with eating at a restaurant?" Dr. Julien glowered. If there can be only one thing he truly hated, it was how most people in Ninjago perceived and treated his child.

"So you're telling me this robot is capable of eating real food? And I mean _real_ food and actually being able to _digest_ it?" The ignorant server continued badgering the engineer's son.

Dr. Julien's whole day was completely ruined by the employee's words alone. He saw the look of total dejection in his son's eyes. He's seen more than enough.

"Come, Zane. We're leaving." The engineer sternly told his son while marching out all of a sudden.

"But Father, are you not desiring food that is not made at home?" The nindroid was still confused by his father's sudden revulsion.

"Anything you make will taste better than any food made by someone who would hire this bigot." The elderly engineer said just loud enough for the rude staff member.

While what few friends Zane had were protective whenever he's dismissed as 'inhuman', it's really his father these people should watch out for. Even in his old age, Dr. Julien will adamantly defend his son from any intolerance and discrimination, be it the easy way… or hard way...

* * *

After the ninja's disastrous run-in with the mechanical shark, Lloyd devoted all of his break time on his Mech Dragon. The Shark Army already had a large animal-shaped contraption at their disposal and the ninja may now need some extra firepower in their missions from here on out if the Shark Army's new weapon indicates anything. The mechanical beast was activated for one final test run before Lloyd will finally get to use it after so many training sessions working on it and delaying the inevitable.

"What if people see the dragon and trace it back to the hideout?" Luna asked.

"Don't worry. Nobody else here is significant enough to do that." Wu replied calmly.

'Here goes nothing.' Lloyd activated the dragon's flight mode.

Steam emitted from the tiny spaces between the green 'scales' of the artificial dragon while the gears churned and the fuel tanks boiled. The dragon got up on all fours and gradually rose higher until all its feet weren't touching the ground. Lloyd held on to his seat in a vice grip since the liftoff was shaky and turbulent. He cautiously guided it so it hovered above the water.

'This is just a little test,' He told himself, 'Just get this over with and nobody will see you.'

Out on the boardwalk, minor locals went about their business doing ordinary people stuff. A little girl with her mother caught sight of something above the waters surrounding the city. It looked like a big green dragon flying close to the waters. She had never seen anything like it and was amazed.

"Mommy, look! A dragon!" The young girl tugged her mother's pant leg to get her attention.

"Oh, sweetie. It's cute you still believe in fairy tale creatures. Now wait here while I get this Unicorns Are Real tank top." Her parent brushed her words off as the ramblings of an impressionable youth.

The ninja continued to watch with silent awe at the Mech Dragon flying. So far, it seemed to do well.

"Lloyd, how are you holding up?" Cole hollered towards the green ninja.

"I'm fine." He managed to answer before the dragon jerked all of a sudden. He just managed to hang on and knew it's time to call it quits.

The Mech Dragon landed roughly but safely and everyone cheered. Everyone that is except for a pair of siblings.

"I don't get why people cheer whenever someone does something successfully," Nya said towards her brother, "You don't see Mom or Dad go crazy whenever we get good grades."

"And why would people do it if they don't even know that person?" Kai added, "If someone can fly or land a plane, why should I clap?

"I'm standing right here, guys." Lloyd stood at them wearing a face of disinterest.

"You heard us, right?" The silver kunoichi asked.

The green ninja solemnly nodded.

"Don't worry," He also spoke, "I'm already mentally scarred by life."

* * *

"Mom, I'm home." Lloyd returned to his apartment while his mother was preparing dinner.

"Welcome back, Lloyd," Koko pecked him on the cheek, "I prepared something new for dinner which I'm sure you'll like."

The green-eyed teen was handed a plate of stir-fried noodles with plump shrimp and vegetables. The whole dish was flavored with a light sauce packed with a variety of flavors. It had just the right amount of both spiciness and sweetness to titillate the green-eyed teen's taste buds with every bite.

"This is actually pretty good," Lloyd was pleasantly surprised by the flavor, "What kind of ingredients did you use?"

"I used a new green curry paste made from a special combination of the finest quality spices in honor of the green ninja." Koko showed her son the jar it came in.

Lloyd did a huge spit take the moment he saw his own face in front of the container.

"Lloyd, it's very disrespectful to spit out food." His mother scolded him like it wasn't anything unusual.

And there goes the green ninja's appetite.

* * *

Kai and Cole spent their afternoon wandering around Ninjago City, trying new foods and watching the world go by.

"The green ninja's latest appearance ended in a disaster!" The NTV reporters still talked about nothing but the Secret Ninja Force's failure on their last mission, "Let's replay so we can keep judging them!"

The fire and earth ninja grimaced at the sight of themselves getting mauled by the giant shark.

"Geez, it's almost like we don't exist." Kai was still annoyed by Lloyd getting all the attention, even the not so positive type.

"These guys just don't let go whenever anybody messes up," Cole observed, "Why can't they just give things a rest and spend more time worrying about the very important stuff?"

"Maybe they've been on Jumblr too much. I swear, it's like those people actually _want_ to get pissed." The fire ninja shuddered and it took a _lot_ for him to do something like that.

"Yeah, the things they say about that hellsite is too true. Once you go in, you can never get out."

"What did you just say?" A woman within earshot stopped and glared at the duo.

"Oh crap..." The fire and earth ninja can tell they were now in for a very bad time. The civilian marched up to them and with her hair dyed a myriad of bright colors and her T-shirt with a controversial quote printed on it, they can tell she has a Jumblr account.

"What did you say to me!?" She kept getting in the duo's faces.

"We didn't say anything to you -"

"I don't need to hear it!" She quickly cut off the black ninja, "I'll have you know that I am a respected being and there are millions of people who suffer from being overlooked by society and it's my duty to spread awareness and deliver justice in this cruel world!"

"Aren't you doing that already?" Kai talked back, "Thanks to your constant screaming, now everyone's looking at you. Isn't that good enough?"

"You're so naive. Die scum." The strange woman giggled, a clear sign she was in denial.

"Come on, Kai. Don't feed the troll." Cole quickly led his teammate away from the psychopath.

The pair didn't even bother to hear what else she had to say in case they'll lose their minds. Not even the strange force that keeps following the ninja seems too scared to tread even deeper into the dark and depraved hive that is Jumblr and it's best to leave it that way.

* * *

 **And that's it for this chapter.**

 **You should all know what Jumblr really is. I actually thought about getting an account since I already complain a lot but I'm pretty sure I'll be murdered because I have a ton of unpopular opinions.**

 **BTW, the poll's over & thank you for voting! I'll see you later!**


	66. Gumball Eyes

**Discovering Destiny**

 **We're back to the humor with this chapter as Lloyd continues to suffer from being a cash cow & finally gets to test out his Mech Dragon on its very first mission! Will things go as planned or will it be a disaster? Read to find out!**

* * *

Chapter 65: Gumball Eyes

Today was yet another day of training for the ninja but nowadays, they were more focused on getting the mechs finished as soon as possible, especially a certain youth in green.

"Jay, hurry up! I need the welding torch now!" Lloyd demanded.

"But I still need it!" The lightning ninja complained while using it to fuse some of the metal that will be part of the earth mech's foundation.

"Why can't you just get another one?" Luna remarked while feeding Varjo some dog treats, "We have ten mechs and only one torch. I may not know a whole lot about all this mech stuff but I'm sure you're gonna need more than one if we want to get them done in time."

"Well _I_ would go and buy another one if it weren't so expensive." The green ninja gritted his teeth.

"You may know a lot about machines but I guess that knowledge is in that part of the brain that knows what sharing is," The purple kunoichi shrugged, "Oh well. You can't have it all, I suppose."

The green ninja stared dumbfounded as the kunoichi of sound sauntered off to some other part of the ninja hideout.

'Great, now even _Luna_ is throwing jabs at me...' Lloyd pouted but carried on with his work… if only Jay was done with the tool he still needed right now.

"Jay, are you done yet!?" His patience finally reached its limit.

"Y-yes!" The shy ninja whimpered, holding up the welding torch.

The green-eyed ninja wordlessly snatched it from his hands and was finally gonna make some progress when his uncle decided now was the time to end his break.

"You've done enough for today," Master Wu told his students, his nephew in particular, "Now it's time to focus on your training as ninja."

"And what about the mechs?" Lloyd lamented.

"Even with your mechs, you will still have to keep up with your training. You are ninja, not pilots." The sagely mentor spoke as if warning him.

"But didn't you let me be a ninja so I can 'discover myself' as you called it? And what if I really want to be a pilot?"

"I cannot decide what kind of life you will have in the future. You can't live forever nor know what will happen next. It's up to you to decide if the answers you seek will change you for the better or worse."

'Again with the cryptic life lessons.' The green ninja took his uncle's advice in stride. Before resuming his training, he lingered behind a bit to give one last glance at the Mech Dragon.

'Soon...' Lloyd certainly didn't want to rush confronting his father one day but he couldn't help but feel a small sense of excitement at the idea of flying on the Mech Dragon. Having one of his long-forgotten childhood fantasies potentially become a reality made the green ninja look forward to that day.

* * *

While the green ninja was the main focus of Ninjago City's latest marking schemes, the other ninja still got some attention. There were some other products that had the other ninja's faces on them like the new ninja ice cream bars that always look more like horrific abominations on a stick than frozen treats.

Lloyd sent a jaded glance at an ice cream truck selling the new ninja-themed popsicles just outside his apartment. The only reason he ever leaves his home besides school and training was because his few friends pretty much forced him to go outside with them so there's no need to guess why he's out here.

"Would you like some frozen sugar on a wooden stick, Lloyd?" Zane bought some popsicles from the ice cream truck, which seemed apt with his assigned element. Having a huge sweet tooth, the green ninja grabbed the nearest treat without looking at the wrapping and quickly regretted it.

Of all the popsicles he had to nab, it had to be a green ninja ice cream bar loaded with artificial flavor and color now with green gumball eyes. He tried to make a switch but his nindroid friend already gave Jay, Heather, and Aria the other treats he bought. The green ninja resigned himself to eat his own face and unwrapped the popsicle…

"It's like looking into a mirror." Lloyd said dryly while staring at his horrifically misshapen monstrosity of an edible counterpart.

"Ew," Aria shuddered once she got a good look at the hideous treat, "That's why I never get that kind of ice cream."

"What are you doing?" The green ninja turned towards Jay, who was talking pictures of the grotesque ice cream treat while Zane held his firecracker popsicle.

"No offense but you know that feeling when you see something freaky and you want to look away but just can't?" The blue ninja started, "This is one of those times."

"Then why are you taking pictures?" Heather asked amidst bites of her drumstick cone.

"I don't know how to explain it. It's kinda like why some people like horror movies."

Lloyd shrugged off the lightning ninja's antics and took a bite of his edible visage once he was done.

Hey, he needs his sugar fix and sugar is sugar, no matter what it looks like.

"Why aren't you having any ice cream, Zane?" Aria finally noticed that Zane was the only one without his own popsicle or ice cream to enjoy.

"Unfortunately, the ice cream truck did not sell my favorite frozen treat." The nindroid answered.

"And that is…?" The kunoichi of nature felt her curiosity grow.

"I prefer plain popsicles."

The other ninja stared incredulously at the white ninja, wondering if they heard him right.

"Plain… popsicles…?" Even Lloyd was taken aback by Zane's answer.

"I hate to break it to you but popsicles always have flavoring in them." Aria said.

"Not plain popsicles," The ice ninja insisted, "My father and I have made it at home before."

"How?"

"We fill a popsicle mold with unflavored and unsweetened ice."

"But that'll be just ice on a stick." The green ninja pointed out.

"So… they are not popsicles…?"

The other ninja found themselves tongue-tied from the way Zane tilted his head and looked at them. He reminded them of an innocent kitten and they couldn't bring themselves to tell him plain popsicles aren't really… well… popsicles.

"Uh… yeah…" Jay complied, "As long as it's on a stick, it's a popsicle..."

"Would you like me to make you some plain popsicles one day?"

"No, we're good." Aria answered after finishing off her rainbow snow cone.

Obviously, the ninja certainly aren't rushing to try a plain popsicle one day...

* * *

The beach next to Ninjago City was suffering from a raid yet again by the Shark Army along with their new shark mech.

Seriously, do these guys have something better to do like being bossed around by Garmadon?

That's pretty much what the ninja were thinking while watching the breaking news. That and this was the perfect opportunity to start using the Mech Dragon on missions for the first time. At least that was another thought in Lloyd's head.

"Lloyd, now might be a good time to start piloting the Mech Dragon." Cole said.

The green ninja didn't bother to talk back and quickly hopped onto the seat atop the dragon's back.

"Hold on!" Kai's protective instincts kicked in, "You sure you're ready to use the Mech Dragon now?"

"You have not reached the minimal amount of test runs recommended for even an ordinary vehicle," The always analytical Zane added, "There are at least fifty hazards that will occur if you try piloting it in this mission."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take." The ninja's leader refused to get up from the dragon.

"But if you get to ride the dragon, how are we supposed to catch up?" Aria pointed out.

"There's just enough room for all of you to squeeze in." The green ninja answered rather quickly.

"Won't that be dangerous?" Nya remarked.

"Just get on!"

All the ninja climbed onto the dragon and only by clinging to one another tightly and sucking in their bellies did they _barely_ have enough room to squeeze themselves into a very uncomfortable conga line along the Mech Dragon's back. Luna, who was stuck at the very back, was practically sitting on its tail while Nya sat right behind Lloyd and had to wrap her arms over his shoulders to make way for the rest of the team. The green ninja almost felt like the kunoichi of water was choking him with the way she was gripping him and if he knew better, that's exactly what she's intending.

"Well this is awkward," Cole remarked on how convoluted this is, "Right, Jay?"

Poor Jay was squished between Cole and Kai, who both had a muscular build compared to his scrawny physique. The little guy was already suffocating and could hardly speak.

"Did you say something?" The earth ninja couldn't quite catch what his teammate was trying to say. It almost sounded like 'I ban cheese'.

Master Wu was as stoic as ever before the ridiculous spectacle. There were more important things to worry about besides trying to find a good seat on the Mech Dragon.

"You don't have much time," Wu warned the ninja, "The least you can do is remember that no matter action you take, there will be consequences. Choose your actions wisely."

"Mech Dragon! Let's go!" Lloyd commanded the dragon to fly.

The Mech Dragon slowly and shakily lifted off the ground but can only hover about ten feet due to the excessive weight it was never intended to carry. The dragon made a lot of unsteady movements as it flew out of the warehouse and some of the ninja were already struggling to hold on and got queasy.

"Guys, I'm getting nauseous." Jay barely managed to wheeze out before the Mech Dragon was out of sight from the hideout.

"Don't even think about it!" Kai glared at the lightning ninja. He better not ruin his gi or hair unless he wants to win the next Halloween costume contest without having to wear any costumes.

* * *

The townsfolk weren't sure if they should cheer or boo when the green ninja and his allies arrived on a mechanical dragon which looked impressive on its own if it hadn't jerked around a lot. Most of the ninja found it difficult to hold on to the dragon until it hovered several feet off the ground. They were finally relieved that the bumpy ride was over but the alleviation was short-lived. The dragon suddenly landed with a maladroit body slam. All the ninja sans the green ninja fell off from the rough landing.

Once the sand settled, the ninja were still discombobulated from the extremely shaky ride combined with the unceremonious entrance.

"Mommy! That's the dragon I saw before! I told you it was real!" The same little girl who spotted the Mech Dragon from the boardwalk the other day told her mother.

"That's not a dragon, honey. It's just a robot," Her mother dismissed her yet again, "We should go and leave the fight to the ninja so we can look for that cave where the unicorns are said to hide in."

Meanwhile, the Shark Army stared at the ninja and their newest gimmick and weren't impressed. The ninja finally recovered from the botched landing and were now ready to fight though some were still annoyed by their less than stellar entrance.

"Don't start with me." Lloyd growled at the other ninja before they could even say anything.

Zane opened his mouth to say something but a quick 'don't bother' from Cole shut him up.

"Mech Dragon! Attack!" The green ninja commanded the mechanical creature.

Everyone from the Secret Ninja Force to the Shark Army and even the citizens prepared for whatever awesome moves the Mech Dragon could do...

The Mech Dragon did nothing but stand there like a daft cow. Everyone in the vicinity were completely let down by the dragon's display, or lack thereof.

"That's it?" Even the Shark Army felt disappointed by the anticlimactic results.

"Mech Dragon! I command you to attack!" Lloyd yelled at his mech and once again, it did nothing. The ninja also looked unimpressed and even embarrassed.

"What the hell is going on!?" The ninja leader was perplexed by the dragon's disobedience.

"I think you still have it under manual control." Jay observed.

The lightning ninja can tell his leader was flabbergasted with the way his green eyes stared at him. The green ninja let out a loud sigh and grumbled about his luck while climbing back onto his seat atop the Mech Dragon's back. Once he was on, he turned on the controls so he can finally begin the assault.

"Mech Dragon! Attack!" He commanded yet again. This time, it better obey him.

The draconian mechanism finally started to move and slashed its claws at the mechanical shark. Lloyd struggled to stay seated on the dragon's back and managed to hold on through it all. Meanwhile, the other ninja dealt with the Shark Army who fought on foot.

Nya proved to be a capable warrior with only her raw strength and skills with the spear but even with all that, she felt she should do more.

She was christened as the kunoichi of water by Master Wu and why would he give her that title if she can't control the waves that lingered near the battlefield? If she could control water, then she could've ended this battle a long time ago. A painful kick on the backside by a Shark Army minion brought her attention back to the mission. The silver kunoichi was more than willing to dish it back.

The green ninja can already tell he'll need some extra firepower if he wants to win this battle. Without hesitating, he turned on the missile launcher installed within the Mech Dragon.

The Mech Dragon fired several missiles from its mouth and if you guessed that's where it gets worse… then congrats. Here's the prize: more story.

The missiles flew sporadically and no one can tell where they'll hit and they started to run for cover.

Random trails of smoke obstructed everyone's vision and the missiles started making impact with the ground or any unfortunate objects that happened to be in the crossfire such as the local hot dog cart.

" **NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ! ! ! !"** The owner dressed in his hot dog costume wailed over the loss of his precious cart as burned sausages made of questionable ingredients rained down on him.

The missiles kept flying and leaving a trail of smoke and destruction in their wake. The rest of the ninja ran around in a frenzy to escape from the haywire projectiles and soon, the entire beach was obscured by smoke and sand.

Once the dust settled, everyone was shocked that the missiles managed to demolish everything in the beach except the shark mech.

"Oh come on!" The green ninja slammed his fists on the controls in disbelief.

Strange beeps emitted from the Mech Dragon and it reared up on its hind legs.

"Shit..." Lloyd cursed under his breath and the dragon started flopping around like a fish out of water. He was barely hanging throughout the draconian mechanism's spasms that destroyed the beach even further until it suddenly collapsed in a jumbled heap.

The Shark Army and somehow, even their mech looked bored. The Mech Dragon alone unintentionally caused more destruction than they ever could, even if they tried.

Before the ninja could do anything, the Shark Army retreated back to Garmadon's volcano lair, leaving the astonished ninja to face the equally stunned townspeople.

"We managed to drive back the Shark Army but the Mech Dragon was the one who caused this mess," Heather said, "I don't get it. Does this mean the mission was a success or a failure?"

"Whatever it is, it's done. That's all that matters." Cole answered bluntly.

* * *

Kai pouted when he saw the popularity poll for the Secret Ninja Force on the bulletin board at school. It didn't surprise him that the green ninja was still the most popular ninja but that wasn't why he was frustrated. The runner-up was his own sister and trailing right behind her was Cole. They miscalculated the votes. That's the only logical explanation for all this.

"Un-freakin-believable!" The fire ninja hissed beneath his breath.

"Is something troubling you, my spiky-haired friend?" Zane came in from seemingly out of nowhere, which was becoming something of the norm for the ninja. With the wheels built within his feet, he can always appear next to his friends without them noticing.

"Yeah!" The fiery human pointed at the popularity poll, "The results are messed up! I should at least be at the top three! Lloyd's a bit of a given but look! Nya's more popular than the rest of us! _Nya_!"

"She is strong-willed, hard-working, and gives her best effort in everything she does. Those traits are considered in this society to be admirable." The white ninja described his hypothesis on the kunoichi of water's popularity.

"So do I!" The most popular kunoichi's brother retorted, "What does she have that I don't!?"

"She has black hair, a mole on her face, a pair of -"

"I don't mean that kind!" The fire ninja stopped the nindroid before he could make this train wreck of a story go beyond the T rating, whatever that means.

"Dammit! It's not fair!" Kai continued to whinge over his lack of adoration compared to his sister. It's bad enough that she already has more admirers than him at school and if she ever finds out she's the more popular ninja, she'll never let him hear the end of it.

"Hey, look! It's fire boy and he's hanging out with _it_!" An obnoxious voice brought the ninja's attention away from the popularity contest.

Kai's blood froze and Zane frowned the moment they heard that voice.

Of all the teens they could run into today, it just had to be Violet Miller, the one cheerleader who was meaner than Chen.

Violet, the cheerleader slash queen bee strutted towards the fire and ice ninja, followed by her clique of friends. Actually, it's more accurate to say they were her personal slaves who agree with everything she says. She just manipulates them into believing they're really her friends.

"Something stinks," The catty girl sneered once she was right in front of the ninja, "Oh, wait! It's only Kai!" She then broke out in an extremely grating cackle. Her personal clique known as 'Violet's Violets' followed suit, echoing her annoying laugh.

"Kai, I sense a sudden rise in your body temperature and blood pressure," Zane said, "Perhaps it is for the better that you stop focusing on Violet."

"Really? Then keep focusing." The mean girl's lips curled into a cruel smirk.

"Zane, help me out," The fiery teen asked his android friend, "I don't know where that voice is coming from. I have a medical condition."

"You do?" The naive nindroid asked.

"Yeah. I can't see thots."

* * *

While Luna and Iris were dueling each other, Lloyd was still working on his Mech Dragon. He got most of the controls down but after the embarrassing first mission with the animal construct, he wanted to ensure his dragon will know and follow his voice commands no matter where he is.

Actually, let's focus on the kunoichi training. It's more interesting that way.

Luna felt the air knocked out of her the moment she landed on her back after being hit by Iris' shield. The pink kunoichi stood above her and raised her sword back in preparation for the finishing blow. The kunoichi of sound let her intuition decide her next move which ended up saving her from a humiliating defeat. The sound of metal sliding against metal echoed the moment Luna blocked Iris' sword with her sai. The broad blade was caught between the thin prongs of the sai. Not only that but the kunoichi of sound held one sai horizontally and the other vertically. The kunoichi of metal tried to slash at the sai but her opponent wouldn't budge the slightest. Their weapons shook while they struggled to best one another. Their raw strength was equal and they were caught in a perpetual stalemate...

Back with Lloyd, he was now ensured that the Mech Dragon will obey him on voice command.

"Fire the missile!" Lloyd's voice rang out within the warehouse, grabbing everyone's attention.

The Mech Dragon opened its maw and a single missile flew out. The projectile buzzed all over the base and left a zigzagging trail of smoke in its wake. Everyone ran for cover but the dueling kunoichi weren't so lucky. The missile hit the arena before they could escape and they got caught in the explosion. The interior of the hideout was completely engulfed in smoke.

"Iris! Luna!" Cole called out to the Mech Dragon's unintended victims, "Are you okay!?"

"Seriously?" Nya looked at him weird, "They get hit by a missile and you're asking them _that_?"

Fortunately, both kunoichi managed to survive the explosion but the real question is if the green ninja will live to see another day.

Luna and Iris emerged from the smoke looking utterly frazzled. With their faces and uniforms covered in ash and their hair completely messed up, they turned their heads slowly towards the source of the missile, specifically the green ninja himself. He couldn't tell what they were thinking, which may be a good thing. Still, after everything he went through, he was surprisingly cool about it.

"Welp, it's been a good run," Lloyd told the other ninja flatly, "Don't worry about me, I'm already done with life."

* * *

 **Since the events of the movie will happen, we all know Lloyd's gonna live. No need to make any guesses. As always, I'll see you soon & review!**


	67. True Friends

**Discovering Destiny**

 **This chapter will have a little bit of everything, from action, to training, and even school life. It's a small break from everything that happened recently but please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 66: True Friends

Lloyd's Mech Dragon certainly wasn't the only one whose controls were being worked on. Ever since their completion, Nya's Water Strider and Kai's Fire Mech were also going through some test runs by the Hinata siblings and yes, Kai sucks with names.

"Check this out!" Kai boasted from his cockpit within the Fire Mech's torso. The large humanoid mech stood straight up and held its arms out, showing that they were really massive flamethrowers.

"How about a little fuego?" The fire ninja activated them and flames burst forth from the mech's arms. It only took seconds for the adrenaline rush to get to Kai's head and he started flailing the arms every which way he can and ended up igniting parts of the roof.

"Kai, you dumbass! You're gonna kill us all!" Jay wailed as he took cover under the double decker sofa that was recently added to the hideout.

Luckily, Nya was also testing out her Water Strider and being the awesome girl she is, aimed the water pump built into her mech at the fire and doused it before it could burn down the whole hideout. As a side effect from being tested out for the first time, the Water Strider's cockpit started to spin like crazy, spraying water all over the building and soaking everyone. Nya felt the contents of her stomach rise to her throat but she managed to keep it down through sheer willpower until the water pump was empty and the cockpit stopped spinning.

Once both mechs were done, the warehouse was a mess. Everyone and everything were soaking wet and parts of the framework of the roof were charred from the brief fire. All the ninja and Master Wu slowly turned their heads towards the Hinata siblings except Zane, who still had an oblivious smile on his face as well as rotating his head a full three hundred-sixty degrees, which only made the nindroid look all the more… off.

"...Oops..." That was all Kai had to say for himself in the aftermath.

Meanwhile, the Water Strider collapsed on its side Nya fell into a crumpled heap off the cockpit. The silver kunoichi's head still spun from the disastrous test run.

"Dammit, Kai! I didn't design this mech to be nothing but an emergency sprinkler!" Nya reprimanded her own brother once she regained her senses, "Did you already forget what happened to Lloyd!?"

Ever since the green ninja accidentally fired a missile at them, Iris and Luna forced him to spend every break for the whole week toiling around as their personal servant. The Hinata siblings observed their teammate obeying each and every whim of the kunoichi from fetching them some homemade treats made by Zane to changing the channel for them.

"Lloyd! Fetch us some towels!" Luna ordered, already showing signs of going mad with power.

It wasn't easy trying to decipher what the green ninja was thinking. The ninja leader looked miserable but then again, if your father was the nastiest person in Ninjago City and everybody hates you because of that alone, you'd be looking pretty damn miserable for every waking moment of your miserable life. The green ninja suddenly glared at the Hinata siblings, catching them off guard.

Meanwhile, Master Wu shook his head in exasperation from his apprentice's endless antics. True, they still have a lot to learn and he expected this kind of buffoonery to happen but all this craziness has got to end at some point. Even with his vast wisdom and patience, Wu still found himself being pushed to his breaking point. For now, tea was his sole source of stress relief.

'I'm getting too old for this bullshit...'

* * *

Cole found himself hanging out with the ninja more often as of late, which was a given since he trains with them now. He wasn't exactly the most social teen in Ninjago High but he started warming up to the idea of spending a lot of time with them. At least they were better to deal with than his father.

Then again, it didn't take much for anyone to be better than his father in his book.

"Listening to any good music lately?" Cole spoke to Zane, the only person willing to spend the rest of their day before training for now.

"I have a preference for the sound of the gears within my father's heirloom clock turning." The white ninja responded.

"Uh… yeah..." The black ninja took the nindroid's quirks in stride. It was part of what made him unique regardless of his body. Maybe that's why he developed a bit of a soft spot for the ice ninja. Uniqueness was something his father and most of the rich people looked down on.

"The ice cream truck is approaching." Zane can hear the vehicle's trademark jingle before the humans can thanks to his advanced audio receptors.

And lo and behold, the ice cream truck arrived within the white ninja's estimated fifty-seven seconds. All the kids and their parents in the street lined up and there's no need to guess what kind of icy treat they want.

"I'll have one green ninja popsicle!" The first kid in line ordered. Go figure.

"Sorry, I'm all sold out." The ice cream man apologized.

"What? Why?" Most of the people in line complained, "How can you be sold out!? This is the first stop isn't it!?"

"I'm sorry! A bunch of weirdos dressed up like sea creatures bought them all!"

'Dressed like sea creatures?' Cole raised a bushy eyebrow in suspicion.

Zane's thought processors pinpointed a certain group of zealots the moment he heard the ice cream man mentioned nautical lifeforms.

Both ninja had a pretty good idea who took all the green ninja popsicles...

* * *

Garmadon's evil laughter echoed throughout his volcano lair though everyone knew it's better to just mind their own business unless they want a one-way ticket to a land far, far away.

"Yes! YES!" The dark lord cackled at the breathtaking sight of the edible effigy of his mortal enemy, the pretentious upstart only known the green ninja, melt over the flames that burned in his office. He was already pleased that none of the green ninja popsicles were perfect but watching them melt was like the icing on top of the cake.

Once the tenth popsicle had completely melted away, Garmadon immediately grabbed the next frozen confection and held it over the fire. One of the benefits of having four arms was that he could hold his phone at the perfect angle to record the already malformed ice cream in his hand melt. The dark lord broke out in an almost maniacal laughter when one gumball fell off its melted socket.

Surprisingly, the slightly morbid spectacle allowed Garmadon to have some sense of mercy…

"Everyone! There has been a slight change of plan for my conquest of Ninjago City!" The four-armed man turned on the intercom so all of his servants can hear him, "Once I take over the city, production of the green ninja popsicles with gumball eyes will not cease! They will be part of a new ritual that will be held every summer after Ninjago City has been conquered!"

His minions were pretty sure why he would want to keep green ninja popsicles in Ninjago City. After he hoarded every last one of the mutated frozen treats from every ice cream truck in the city, he basically forced them all to watch the ice cream melting marathon on the huge screen in the center of the lair, threatening them with horrific punishments if they do so much as look away.

* * *

Back with Cole and Zane, the former got himself an ice cream sandwich and Zane still refused to have anything from the ice cream truck, still preferring plain popsicles. Again, the humanoid was met with confusion from his teammate but he was more than happy to explain what they entail.

"...Interesting..." The black ninja responded once the nindroid told him what plain popsicles were.

"What else do you find interesting, fellow ninja?" Zane tilted his head as he often does whenever he asks a question or gets confused.

"Not a whole lot, really," Cole shrugged, "It's the simpler things in life that really make you happy."

"You mean like this pebble?" The ice ninja picked up a tiny rock to show to the human.

"I guess you can say that. At least for someone who likes to collect pebbles."

"What are these 'simpler things' that make you happy?"

"Take a wild guess." The earth ninja patted the radio on his shoulder.

"...Radios…?" The naive nindroid tilted his head again.

"No. Music." Cole let a small chuckle escape from his lips. Zane may have the intellect of a true genius yet he still carried a certain innocence to him that one wouldn't expect from a teen, much less a robot. The ice ninja was truly one of a kind.

"Can I hear some of the songs you listen to?" Zane asked.

"Sure thing." Cole selected another hit song from N-Pop Girl and played it on his radio.

Zane listened intently to the words N-Pop Girl was saying. Despite the optimistic song title, 'Rainbow Melody', some of the lyrics weren't so… cheerful. Some words that stood out to him were 'heartache' and 'dejection'. From what he observed in the books and movies his father got for him, they weren't exactly pleasant emotions. He didn't know why anyone would want to sing about having that sort of feelings, especially in a happy voice as well as an energetic leitmotif.

"Why does she sing about such negative feelings with such an upbeat tempo?" Zane finally asked.

"Some songs were written with some special meaning behind them like this one. Just like how there's so many different colors, there are also many different feelings people go through. When you look at it that way, then the title 'Rainbow Melody' does make sense." Cole answered.

"I… see..." The ice ninja fell silent and went back to looking like a life-sized doll for almost a full minute. As off-putting as he was when he stood perfectly still, it still gave Zane an eerily beautiful aura which hasn't gone unnoticed by Cole as of late. Even underneath his looks, the ice ninja was always eager to help anyone in need so it's no wonder he agreed to join the Secret Ninja Force. As for Cole, he simply wanted to get away from his father, which he's already been doing for a long time. Cole and Zane were two completely different people, yet fate decided to pair them up together...

"Cole?" Zane spoke seemingly from out of nowhere.

"Yeah?" Cole responded coolly.

"Why would anyone ever want to feel that way…?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have felt a terrible loneliness whenever I have been called 'just a robot' many times. Occasionally, I have found myself wanting to erase the capability of feeling sadness. I cannot deny that these negative emotions are an integral aspect of living but what if it is not worth it?"

"I get where you're coming from but I don't know how to explain it. Maybe we feel sad, angry, scared, and all that kind of stuff so we can really understand what it's like to be happy. I don't know, I'm not a philosopher. Master Wu would probably know the answer."

"Why?"

"Cuz he's always bantering about all these life lessons as well as being so damn cryptic about it. If that doesn't scream 'wise old man who knows more than he lets on', I don't know what does."

Zane was still confused by his teammate's answer. Master Wu never screamed at the ninja before. But it's true he had much more wisdom and experience than most people he knew, including himself. The nindroid decided it'll be better to take Cole's advice and seek out the answers from their teacher.

That is if he's willing to find out if the answers may not be pleasant...

* * *

Today was yet another meeting for the music club as they continued production for the upcoming The Steadfast Tin Soldier musical. Luna managed to keep up with her lessons, even if she has to continue putting with with Griffin. Said actor sent a salacious glance her way and she grimaced in response.

"Looking forward to sharing another dance with you." He said with a cocky smirk.

Luna didn't bother to respond. She knew it'll only provoke him even further and she didn't want that.

"Guys, look! I finally got my braces off!" Rumi, the chief costume designer of the music club, greeted everyone with a big grin to show a huge change in her. The braces she had for two years were finally gone and she can now eat all the caramel and gum she wants and show off her perfect pearly whites, giving Luna a welcoming distraction from her insufferable co-star.

"Wow! Looking good!" Brad smiled back at Rumi…..'s teeth where his reflection shone. Whatever toothpaste she used, it must be some top quality stuff to show off his handsome face so perfectly.

"Really? Thanks!" The oblivious designer accepted the head of the music club's 'compliment'.

"I've been coming up with the perfect costume for you! Wanna see?"

Rumi gathered a pile of sketches in front of Luna and it was clear why she was the music club's go-to girl when it comes to designing the perfect costume. Each and every design she made were gorgeous and meticulously detailed from the filigree embroidery on the torso of the snow-themed dress to the layers of translucent tulle in varying shades of blue, green, and purple in the tutu with an ocean motif.

"I think this one will be good. It kinda matches with what happens to the ballerina in the end." The shy kunoichi pointed at the black tutu with red tulle touched up with glitter.

"I don't know..." Rumi clicked her tongue in concern, "I liked it too but it looks a little too evil and just won't match with the ballerina and the story."

"Good point..."

The girls looked through all the costume designs but so far, nothing seemed to click for the kunoichi of sound. There was something missing but she can't quite put her finger on it.

"I'm sorry but none of these designs seem to click with me." Luna apologized.

"Then maybe you should come up with one yourself." Rumi suggested.

"Really? I-I'm not exactly a pro like you when it comes to actually designing a costume..." The timid girl was taken aback by her fellow club member's recommendation.

"You can just write down what you'd like and I'll draw it out for you."

"Thanks." Luna can't say she was exactly friends with her but at least Rumi was always very kind and willing to help her out whenever she needs it. They both spent much what seemed like forever trying to come up with the perfect design. Slowly but surely, the right outfit was starting to come together.

"And I'm thinking about adding some pearls here." The kunoichi of sound added some final details to her ideal outfit for the musical and let Rumi draw it out.

"Is this what you're looking for?" She held up her final sketch and that's when Luna felt something go off like a light bulb. The designer swore she saw a sparkle within her hazel eyes.

"That's it! Rumi, you're a genius!" Luna practically squealed.

"You were the one who had the designs in mind. I just drew it out," Rumi corrected her, "If anything, you're the genius, not me."

And then the shy girl's complexion turned so red her face could rival an overripe tomato. The aspiring idol just doesn't know how to even hear a compliment without turning into a blushing mess.

"Luna, Brad's calling you." Cole brought her attention away from the costume design.

"What is it?" The kunoichi of sound went over to the music club's leader, "Is it something important?"

"Yeah!" Brad answered briskly, "We're running out of refreshments! Go get some!"

Even the timid Luna can get tired of her fellow club member's frivolity. He already got the cushy job of being a club leader. But as long as she's one step closer to achieving her lifelong dream, she decided to bear with it just a bit longer. At least she'll get some compensation by shaking up his can of Diet Bepsi along the way...

* * *

With Kai being a bit of a foodie and Aria always willing to try something new, they spent a majority of the time they had with just each other tasting what kinds of foods Ninjago City had to offer.

"You should give this a try." Aria offered Kai a try of her crepe filled with fluffy whipped cream and lots of fresh strawberries topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

"This is also pretty good too." Kai also let her sample some of his taro frozen yogurt topped with small bits of chewy mochi and a medley of fruits.

While they indulged on all sorts of street food, Kai and Aria felt that nothing mattered in this world but the time they have together. It wasn't often Aria got to meet someone who could keep up with her in at least one thing she always liked to do and she would've never guessed Kai was the one who would be able to do that. As for Kai, he was simply content to be with someone who didn't give him shit for liking what he likes, mush less enjoy it along with him.

"It's funny that we wouldn't be getting along if it weren't for joining the Secret Ninja Force." Aria was the first to try starting a conversation after she and Kai finished their spicy fishcakes on a stick.

"And even then, it wasn't only after we found out we often complain about stuff that we hate that we started getting along." Kai added.

For a moment, Aria didn't respond, not that the fire ninja minded. He thought she simply chose not to respond until he caught her in the corner of his fiery amber eyes buying some fresh curry donuts.

'Did she even listen to what I just said?' He thought with slight frustration, 'I don't get to say deep stuff very often and all she can think about is food!?'

"Try some. It's good." The oblivious girl offered her teammate some more snacks.

"Fine." Even if he was annoyed by Aria's capriciousness, Kai could never turn down the opportunity to try something new, be it food or brawling.

"Don't tell Heather this but you're better than her with this kind of stuff. She can never try at least four kinds of food before she starts whining about getting a heart attack and shit like that." The kunoichi of wind confessed.

Heather was tending to the flowers in Blossoming Memories like she always does when suddenly…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The teal kunoichi clutched her chest where she felt a sudden pain like someone stabbed her right in the heart.

* * *

The Shark Army's forces were split in two for today's raid. Half of them terrorized the beach with their shark mech and the other half harassed the townsfolk at the central plaza of the city.

People on both sides ran around for cover but they also spotted their would-be saviors.

Just as expected, the Secret Ninja Force have come to save the day.

The green ninja arrived at the beach on his Mech Dragon that wasn't as clumsy as before but still a bit wobbly from carrying four more ninja. The lightning ninja didn't look like he was suffocating this time now that there weren't as much ninja on the Mech Dragon. Joining him were the earth ninja and the kunoichi of wind and nature.

Within the actual city, the fire and water ninja along with the kunoichi of metal and sound and the ice ninja. Unlike the green ninja, they didn't have a mech to provide extra firepower.

"Why couldn't I bring my Fire Mech!?" Kai lamented.

"The Shark Army are the criminals, not us." Luna answered, annoying the fire ninja even further.

"Remember our plan?" Lloyd asked the rest of his division from atop his dragon.

"Yeah." Aria nodded.

"NINJA GO!" Both parties began their battles.

At the beach, the green ninja remained seated on the Mech Dragon's back as it started to duke it out with the mechanical shark. As for the rest of his team, they dealt with the Shark Army on foot. Before the sea life-themed minions knew it, the blue ninja nabbed their weapons with his kusarigama, which were promptly demolished by the black ninja's massive warhammer and teal kunoichi's sturdy mace. The orange kunoichi took this time to swoop in and take down the now defenseless Shark Army with her daggers. The ninja were ensured they'll win this battle.

Back in the city, the ninja also gave their all in this battle. The fire ninja and kunoichi of water managed to work in near-perfect synchronicity, the latter driving off enemies from a distance with her spear and the former cutting down any adversaries that managed to sneak closer. The rest of the team weren't slouches either. The ice ninja's arrows hit their targets with deadly precision and the kunoichi of metal and sound have become more skilled with their weapons. The purple kunoichi halted the Shark Army's attacks with her sai and the pink kunoichi used both her sword and shield to beat up anyone foolhardy enough to come charging at her.

While the other ninja fought the Shark Army, the green ninja still piloted the Mech Dragon as it duked it out with the shark mech. The ninja leader held on for dear life as if he was in a rodeo while his mech clawed and bit its adversary and that's where the Mech Dragon had an advantage. The big shark mech was capable of causing collateral damage with the cannons built within it but other than that… it can't do much else. The Mech Dragon on the other hand was built for direct confrontation without relying solely on its missiles.

"The shark mech won't hold for much longer!" The dark lord's underlings who controlled the gigantic mechanism from within panicked, "We gotta bail!"

The shark mech finally reached its limit and fell into a useless heap of metal, forcing the Shark Army to retreat. The ninja rejoiced over another victory but it wasn't without a cost. No sooner had the Shark Army left that the exhausted Mech Dragon collapsed.

"Damn, I was hoping this wouldn't happen." Lloyd complained under his breath.

Since it had legs, the Mech Dragon can still traverse on solid ground, even if it wouldn't be as fast or as exciting as flying. The green ninja's team hopped on and the dragon marched off before they could be bombarded by the paparazzi.

At the plaza, the ninja also emerged as the victors and basked in the adoration of their fans or...

"Why isn't the green ninja with you guys?" Some ungrateful green ninja fangirls complained.

Kai felt himself die inside. Even if he isn't there, Lloyd always found a way to overshadow him and the other ninja.

"He has more important things to do than pandering to your sick fantasies." He finally answered.

"Guys! I think I saw him by the beach!" Another fangirl grabbed everyone's attention.

Shrill squeals nearly deafened the ninja and the fans ran for the beach, leaving the ninja in the dust.

After many moments of silence, Nya finally broke the silence.

"Whatever. Knowing fangirls, that worked out better than I expected."

* * *

 **That's all for now. It's not exactly an important chapter but please review.**


	68. Splitting Up is Hard to Do

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for today's update! This chapter will just have the ninja go on yet another mission but this time, something VERY important will happen, especially at the very end so be sure to stick around! Read on to find out!**

* * *

Chapter 67: Splitting Up is Hard to Do

Master Wu always spent his breaks meditating and drinking tea. Still, he was always more than willing to answer any questions his students have and giving them advice.

"Master Wu, I apologize if I am disturbing you." Zane approached his sagely mentor.

"No need for apologies," Wu accepted the white ninja's presence, "I sense you have come to seek out some advice. Now tell me, what's on your mind?"

"I am afraid I cannot answer that question. The mind is not tangible so nothing can be on top of it."

The old man took the android's habit of taking things literally in stride. Everyone had their quirks and Zane was no exception.

"I understand that experiencing negative emotions like sadness, anger, and such are an integral part of life. However..." The nindroid faltered, finding himself unsure if he should continue and was only more confused as to why.

"Go on." Master Wu calmly urged his android student to continue.

Zane still hesitated for several moments but Wu was a patient man and didn't pressure him.

"I have found myself thinking as of late that maybe these feelings are not worth it." The android finally voiced his deep concern.

"What do you mean?"

"I have felt a variety of emotions, thoughts, and feelings, including loneliness and sorrow. I feel lonely as the only functioning android in Ninjago but I am still happy and thankful to have friends but..." The ice ninja hesitated yet again. He felt uncomfortable talking about such subjects but he was aware that if he wanted answers, then he'll have to face them, whether he'll like them or not.

"I know that because I am an android, I will outlive not only my father but all of you one day and I will be all alone. I have also begun to believe that it is this bond I have with you that the loss will be even more unbearable. It is still so strange to me that something that has made me content will also be the cause of great misery. Does that make it wrong for me to have ever wanted friends? Is it wrong for me to even feel this way?"

Master Wu took another sip of tea and stood still for what felt like hours before he finally spoke.

"I understand how you feel," Wu's eyes carried a slight hint of sadness as he answered, "I have felt so many different emotions in my long life. I have wished for them to go away but life itself is also like the yin and yang. To truly feel happiness, joy, and even love, one must also feel sadness, anger, and those type of emotions. Only then can one truly appreciate the more positive aspects of life as well as gain a sense of gratitude. At least that's what I learned. No two people have to same experiences. I know you will learn many lessons from the experiences you will make but what they are is entirely up to you."

"But what about the feeling of dread I experience whenever I think about this topic?"

"There is nothing wrong with feeling emotions like sadness or anger. What is wrong is if you let them control you."

"How is that possible?"

"Zane, just because you lose something doesn't mean you'll suffer forever. There is absolutely nothing in this world that is good because it lasts. In a way, that's also why they are good. It is not the object, person, or even activity itself that makes them great. It's the memories that makes them so precious. Even if it seems like you don't have a lot, you should always be grateful for what you have, no matter the number. That is all I can tell you for the moment."

The ice ninja was left to ponder over his mentor's advice. Master Wu had much more experience than him and probably went through a lot of loss to understand these things. He still wasn't sure whether or not to believe him. If his experiences won't be the same, then the lessons he taught him might not apply to him. Still, he understood what his teacher was really telling him. The nindroid still treasured the memories of the times he spent with his friends and kept them saved. Those memories will be all he'll have left one day, even if he was human. There were still so many unanswered questions but only time will tell if Zane will find the answers. For now, he was thankful that Master Wu was willing to give him some words of wisdom as well as taking the time to listen to his selfish plight.

"Thank you, Master Wu." The nindroid bowed and then resumed his ninja training.

Master Wu took another sip of tea, remembering when he was going through a similar dilemma to the one his robotic student had. His own words managed to reawaken some old memories he believed to be buried so deep in his psyche he would've never thought his mind would dwell on them again. The wizened mentor also remembered hearing those same words he told the ice ninja come from his own father many years ago. Alas, the past is in the past where it belongs. He may have a lot of experience but there is still much more for even an old man like him to learn.

'Learning is a lifelong process,' His father's words echoed in his mind, 'The world is always changing so there's always something new to find and different experiences to learn from.'

More quotes from his father popped up within Wu's psyche, especially about the memories of all the things he cared about, especially when his family was whole. He still found himself wanting for those days to come back but in the end, he was more grateful they ever happened.

* * *

Everyone in Ninjago City were glued to the once-in-a-lifetime event airing on live TV.

"He's gonna do it!" Announcers were going crazy over the local stuntman slash celebrity known as the Brickster setting out to do his greatest challenge yet: climb up the Ninjago Tower, the tallest building in the entirety of the city using only suction cups on his hands and knees. So far, he managed to climb up much of the skyscraper and it looks like his latest ambition will become a reality.

"The Brickster's made it to the one hundredth floor! He's almost there!"

The cameras zoomed in on the daredevil's hand that was just about to grasp the very edge of the top of the tower...

"We interrupt this program with breaking news!" NTV couldn't have picked a better time to interrupt what could be one of the greatest moments in the history of television in Ninjago City. Even the ninja were watching the event and weren't happy for the news to disrupt it. Zane could also hear people's complaints from afar such as 'Thanks a lot Lloyd!' and 'That little shit's dad keeps ruining everything!'

"Oh great. Here we go." Cole said nonchalantly once the reporters' faces showed up on the screen.

"There have been reports from locals claiming they have spotted the Shark Army roaming the streets of Ninjago City yet there are no reports of any criminal activity by anyone of any sort." NTV reporters continued to deliver the scoop.

"Could it really be the Shark Army? What if it's just a bunch of weirdos who like playing dress-up?" Iris was skeptical of this breaking news.

"We'll show you some footage taken by eyewitnesses." The screen switched from the reporters sitting in their office to some mediocre videos recorded by the townspeople's phones of what appeared to be the Shark Army rummaging the less explored corners of Ninjago City. No one can tell if it's really them due to the subpar quality and the fact that the supposed minions of the dark lord were only seen for a few seconds in each video the news have shown.

"What if this could be a trap?" Aria pondered, "They usually cause all sorts of trouble whenever they show up but now, they're not doing a whole lot. We always go and beat them up and what if they're expecting us?"

"You have a point..." Nya responded.

"I recommend an investigation," Heather suggested, "We're already fighting the Shark Army whenever they show up so what difference will it make?"

"Don't you understand?" Jay refuted, "Every time the bad guys do this sort of stuff, they always have some sort of plan. They could be planning an ambush."

"Quit being paranoid, Jay. This is real life, not a movie." Cole tried to calm down the blue ninja.

"If they really are expecting us and have some tricks up their sleeve, the least we can do is go out and beat the truth out of them." The ever hot-blooded Kai pounded his fists, itching for a good fight.

"And how exactly are we gonna do that?" Iris asked.

"We'll all split into groups of two," Cole planned out a strategy, "We'll investigate the downtown area, the residential areas, the beach, the river markets, and the outskirts by the bamboo forest."

"And who'll be going where?" The kunoichi of metal asked.

"It would be for the best to spread out our forces instead of concentrating them in one area," Master Wu suddenly took over, "Lloyd and Nya will go downtown."

"Got it." The tenacious kunoichi of water already prepared herself for her newest mission. Meanwhile, the green ninja himself didn't really care. At least she won't be as insufferable as her brother.

"Luna and Aria will head to the beach."

"Alright! We can also do some girl talk!" The orange kunoichi was rather ecstatic to go on this mission, much to the kunoichi of sound's slight confusion.

"Heather and Kai will check on the residential areas."

"Fine." The kunoichi of nature wasn't sure how to react having to work with the hotheaded fire ninja but found no use in complaining about it, no matter how tempting it was.

"Zane and Iris will search for any suspicious activity at the river markets."

"Objective confirmed." The nindroid accepted his latest task without question.

"Finally, Jay and Cole will investigate the outskirts." Wu concluded.

"Are you sure?" The lightning ninja felt a tad uncomfortable working with the ninja who's pretty much his opposite in just about every way.

"I'm as sure as I'm ever gonna get." The old teacher answered with a voice as dry as the Sea of Sand.

"What if I end up needing the Mech Dragon?" Lloyd asked, almost hoping he'll get to pilot it again.

"I told you before. You mustn't become overly reliant on outside sources on the path of the ninja." Wu reminded his nephew, "You alone must find your inner ninja and fulfill your destiny."

"I know how much you love talking about this destiny stuff but that's not why I signed up for this," The green ninja complained, "You always said that I'm the one who'll decide how I'll end up in the future. What if flying my Mech Dragon is the future I want?"

"Discovering yourself isn't just about wants. What you need is more important than what you simply desire," The old man chastised his naive relative yet again, "Now go. You don't have much time."

"Yes, Master Wu." The ninja accepted their latest mission and set off…

* * *

Most of the people at the market were wary ever since reports of the Shark Army being spotted in the city arose. They still went about their lives, buying and selling goods, all while remaining oblivious to two teens snooping around.

"I still don't think the Shark Army's here," Iris whispered to her partner, "Those were probably a bunch of posers or wannabes."

"No one can know for certain," Zane responded, "But it is still for the best that we ensure that Ninjago City and her people are safe."

"I almost forgot. Can you scan the place for them?"

"Yes." The nindroid had the faces he had seen on the news saved in his database and scanned for any similar appearances in the crowd. So far, there was no match but that didn't stop the white ninja from giving up his mission. The bad quality of the footage he got the faces from probably didn't help.

"I apologize for my inability to find any matches."

"Stop apologizing all the time. It's getting annoying."

"Oh… I am sorry."

A long, loud sigh escaped from Iris' concealed lips. Zane can be too sweet for his own good...

* * *

At the beach, Luna and Aria went on their investigation. Or at least the former was trying. The latter's mind was preoccupied by what she believed to be much more important.

"We could finally do whatever we want with no guys to butt in!" The kunoichi of wind was being her usual frivolous self.

"How could you be thinking about this kind of stuff at a time like this?" The kunoichi of sound became concerned over her teammate's priorities.

"Luna! It's not good for you to be so gloomy all the time! Live a little!" The olive-skinned girl gave her partner a playful push.

"But we can't forget why Master Wu sent us here."

"I know. But just doing as we're told is boring. Why not jazz it up a little?"

"...What…?" Luna voice was flatter than a busted tire.

"You know, jazz it up! Because you seem to love music! _And_ you're the kunoichi of sound! Get it?" Aria tried to explain her… choice of words… to the purple kunoichi, who couldn't be any more unamused. The kunoichi could even hear crickets chirp, even if they're at the beach.

"Going with that logic, then you must always enjoy having your head up in the clouds because you're the kunoichi of wind." Luna dished it back.

Aria was left speechless for several moments. The kunoichi of sound got her there.

"Never mind. Let's see if the Shark Army's up to something." The orange kunoichi quickly changed the subject and was thankful she had to wear her mask on every mission or else her teammate would be able to see how flustered she was by her remark.

The pair didn't find anything that appeared out of the norm. Everyone were living out their lives and the volcano base within sight of the beach seemed peaceful…

A little _too_ peaceful…

"If the Shark Army really are wandering around in Ninjago city, I don't think a whole lot will happen at the volcano lair." Aria thought out loud.

"I guess..." Luna agreed.

"I bet the others get to do more interesting stuff..."

* * *

Cole and Jay wandered the very edge of Ninjago City in hopes of finding any clues as to what the Shark Army and Garmadon were really planning to do but so far, they haven't found anything.

"I don't think there's much here that the Shark Army or even Garmadon will be interested in." Jay had no idea why his teammate even thought that the villains would ever want to do anything in what may be the least interesting part of the city.

"And here I was, thinking you would make assumptions that this is some sort of ambush." Cole let out a somewhat cocky smirk which aggravated the blue ninja a bit.

"And I still think it is!" The lightning ninja exclaimed, oblivious to his own complexion reddening just a tiny bit, which only made his reaction all the more amusing to the earth ninja.

"No need to bite my head off," The muscular teen shrugged, "You never know what to expect so you could still be on to something."

Jay still felt uneasy working with Cole and he couldn't figure out why. All the other ninja were strong, confident, and much better-looking than him. While he did get along with Zane thanks to their mutual affinity for machines, even the nindroid managed to possess some charisma with his logical yet sweet disposition and a strange beauty to him while Jay had nothing remarkable.

"Jay, if something's on your mind, just say it." The earth ninja spoke again, making Jay flinch.

The blue ninja wondered how Cole could be so carefree about everything. He always had a hard time trying to take things easy with his mind often wrapped up around all the things that could go wrong. It might be a quirk of being from a family of inventors. He had many of his own inventions go awry over the years so maybe that's why he get so fidgety all the time.

"Um… what made you think the Shark Army could be here…?" Jay blurted out.

"You never know what Garmadon might be planning," Cole shrugged, "One day, he's hacking into the TV networks and the next, he's trying to get people to buy My Little Oni toys."

"And he might think he'll have an easier time taking over Ninjago if he starts in some place where no one would think about looking." The blue ninja concluded.

"You know, I've began to notice something..."

"W-what…?"

"You're nothing like what people in school say about you."

The bashful teen felt his face heat up from his partner's words alone. He was aware of what the teens at school say about him and part of him believed them. He wasn't much compared to everyone else, even his teammates and especially Cole himself.

"I'm nothing special. Really." Jay stammered.

"You're not gonna be with that attitude." The earth ninja retorted.

Yet again, Jay was at a loss for words. There were actually many things he wanted to say but he never found the mettle to say them out loud. He thought he'll be more confident if he was around someone like that. Someone like Cole.

Too bad expectations never match with reality. The others were probably having an easier time doing their mission and getting along with each other...

* * *

Kai and Heather looked for any signs of suspicious activity in their designated area and it couldn't be any more awkward for them. They weren't actually opposed to Master Wu's strategy but the least he could've done was pair them up with someone they really knew.

"I don't get why Master Wu paired us up together," Heather muttered, "We have nothing in common. It would've been better if he paired each of us with someone we do know."

"But maybe that's why he paired us up." The fire ninja answered.

"What are you talking about?"

"Master Wu always talk about us having to work as a team. If we're gonna do that, then we're gonna have to know each other."

"I guess I can see that… But..."

"But what?"

"I just didn't expect those words to come out of _your_ mouth."

Kai felt himself die a little inside. He isn't nothing more than a one-dimensional hothead, is he?

"I was just joking," Heather spoke again, "You already get along pretty well with Aria and believe me, that says a lot."

"As I was saying," The fire ninja's voice was slightly louder to show his annoyance, "Master Wu must've paired us up so each of us can learn more about the whole team."

"Then where do we start?"

"How should I know?"

"You were the one who said Master Wu had us go together so we can get to know each other."

"Fine," Kai gritted his teeth, "But we also gotta focus on our mission."

"That's it?" Heather felt disappointed, "That's all you have to say?"

"You think you can do better? Then go ahead! Be my guest!"

The quarreling pair unsurprisingly got the attention of the public who stopped to watch them argue.

Hey, at least the ninja are making it interesting for the locals.

* * *

Finally, Lloyd and Nya remained hidden in the allies near the very center of Ninjago City.

"Remember, if we do end up finding the Shark Army, don't rush immediately," Nya recapped their plan to her partner, "We'll wait and see what they're up to before we confront them."

"Got it." Lloyd whispered back.

The pair snooped through the shadows, hoping to find any sort of lead. With their mostly dark-colored gi, they managed to escape the eyes of the locals while sneaking around the tight corners of the alleys and streets. After many minutes of snooping around, Lloyd and Nya began to consider calling it quits when they finally spotted something.

"I think I see something coming!" Nya saw the locals suddenly appearing uneasy.

The green ninja and silver kunoichi stopped and peered from behind the pile of garbage bags between the fitness club known as Rock and the hardware store, Hard Place. A bunch of shadows loomed over from where the ninja couldn't see them until they finally emerged. The source of those shadows were none other than several members of the Shark Army rumored to be wandering the city.

"The Shark Army really are here," Nya whispered, "I don't want to rush but I can't stand not being able to do anything as long as they're here..."

"Wait. I think I see someone else." Lloyd urged his teammate to hold still when he saw something else, or someone who didn't look like a member of the Shark Army. The person seemed to be clad entirely in black with a much more ornate headdress. The ninja can tell this person was more intimidating than the Shark Army with the way the locals reacted to their presence. Everyone including the Shark Army stopped whatever they were doing and stepped aside to make a clear path for them. The person clad in black marched down the makeshift walkway but the duo still have trouble seeing their face.

"Garmadon…!" Lloyd and Nya gasped at the sight of the dark lord. They never got to see him in person and only through occasional hijacks on the TV stations.

"What's he doing here?" The kunoichi of water couldn't believe what she was witnessing.

"It can't be…!" The green ninja himself was beyond shocked.

'...Dad…?' He was even more surprised that he would still call him that, at least in his thoughts.

"Make way for Lord Garmadon!" The Shark Army shooed off anyone who stood in their boss' way. The dark lord continued marching through the city. Lloyd and Nya were completely petrified by seeing him in person for the very first time, especially Lloyd. He was so close yet so far. There were so many things he wanted to say to his father but now that he's here and in this circumstance, he didn't know what to do. He almost let out a gasp when the dark lord suddenly stopped.

"What is it, boss?" One of Garmadon's minions asked.

"I sense something..." Garmadon muttered darkly. His blood red eyes pointed at the alley… the same one Lloyd and Nya were hiding in. Both ninja felt shivers run up their spines and their hearts began to race when the dark lord started walking towards them.

'Crap! What do we do!?' Lloyd looked at Nya for answers but she can only look back at him. The hint of uncertainty in the strong-willed girl's eyes somehow frightened the green ninja more than the evil man heading in their direction.

This wasn't how he imagined reuniting with his father would be like.

All they could do right now is hope for a miracle…

* * *

 **So what do you think will happen next? You'll just have to keep wondering until the next chapter comes up. I'll see you later & reviews are appreciated.**


	69. An Accident Waiting to Happen

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Okay. I left you all hanging on the last chapter so we'll start right where we left off but don't think Lloyd's safe. There's a lot of drama in this chapter so hold on to your hats & read on!**

* * *

Chapter 68: An Accident Waiting to Happen

The Brickster fumed from the top of Ninjago Tower. He toiled for many hours to fulfill what may be his ultimate achievement that will make him immortal, only for everyone to turn their attention to those meddling ninja and the dark lord. There were some reporters trying to interview him but not as much as he had hoped for.

"So what's it like being stuck as second fiddle for the ninja?" One of them just had to ask that kind of question. The Brickster was beyond annoyed that even the journalists who bothered to interview him seemed more concerned about the ninja. He was already thinking about what his next stunt will be. It better not get overshadowed by the ninja or Garmadon. Maybe he could go get a helicopter, hoard a shit-ton of bricks, and -

Wait. Wrong story. This is supposed to be about Garmadon sensing that something wasn't right.

Garmadon felt that something was off while he was in Ninjago City. He can sense whatever gave him that sinking feeling over at the alley. Little did he know that he was right. There were two certain teens hiding there, trying to spy on him.

Lloyd and Nya felt their blood freeze the moment Garmadon's blood red eyes turned towards a certain alley, the very same one they were hiding in. They already began to imagine what their funerals will be like. Kai would be an emotional wreck, sobbing and just about ready to commit harakiri with the other ninja stopping him sans an ever oblivious Zane who just smiled that weird smile of his the whole time. Meanwhile, their parents will be sad yet disappointed that they had to find out their secret this way. Master Wu also delivered a rather humiliating eulogy for the pair of ninja who met an inglorious end.

"They lived their extremely short lives with little to show for them," The ninja's old mentor didn't even hide his disappointment over their demise, "Lloyd spent most of his life trapped at the very bottom of Ninjago City's caste system. Whenever he wasn't being bullied, he would bitch and moan about how much he hated his father who ruined his life. Until he ended it. As for Nya, she was nothing more than a Lady Iron Dragon wannabe all her life. That's all you need to know. Okay. Lower the caskets."

The ninja's coffins were unceremoniously dropped into the hole before their gravestones. The tiny hill where they were buried ended up caving in, trapping everyone and everything on it.

Back to reality, Garmadon continued marching over to the alley where Lloyd and Nya were hiding.

"He's getting closer! We have to do something!" Nya hissed at Lloyd with a hint of anxiety in her voice.

"What am I supposed to do!?" The green ninja whispered back.

Garmadon didn't find anything out of the ordinary in the alley but he had to make sure. The small pile of trash bags looked a little off for some reason. There might be something hiding inside...

Lloyd and Nya were too nervous to even breath as the dark lord inched ever closer. The black material of the trash bags rustled and even touched them. It took everything in them not to yelp or make any noise at all. They were even too nervous to shiver now that Garmadon was practically hovering above them. He stretched out one of his hands and almost yanked away the trash bags when...

"My lord! You gotta come see this!" The newest General #1 called out for their boss.

"What now?" Garmadon stopped in his tracks but wasn't happy to have his investigation interrupted.

"Please, my lord! Hurry or you're gonna miss it!"

"This better be important." The dark lord turned his back on the alley and walked away.

Lloyd and Nya couldn't believe what just happened.

They were seconds away from being found by Garmadon but out of sheer luck, they were spared. Yet a small part of them couldn't find relief in that. They also wondered what made the dark lord abandon his attempt to find them. They were completely frozen and can only listen to what was going on.

"Isn't that the woman you were talking to when you had that N Mart on lockdown?" The ninja heard the Shark Army goons talking to their boss.

'Is he talking about Mom…?' Lloyd still remembered the incident.

"She isn't important!" He could hear Garmadon scoff, "Now grab everything that could be of value!"

Lloyd and Nya were still petrified behind the trash bags and could only hear the Shark Army carry out Garmadon's orders. They can only guess they were out to grab supplies to build more weapons such as the recently destroyed shark mech. At least they'll know what to expect in future missions… if they can get out of here alive.

The pair quickly stole a peek and felt their hearts stop when they saw that Garmadon and his minions were still there. They remained hidden in the alley, hoping to hear signs of them moving. They stood still for what felt like minutes and they began to fear the dark lord and his underlings decided to stay for the rest of the day until the former finally decided to leave.

"This was a waste of time," Garmadon growled, "I'm going back and don't think about trying to make any stops."

A long time still passed after the dark lord and his minions left when the ninja duo finally moved. Their bodies felt cramped from hiding behind the trash bags for the majority of their time out in the city but even if they didn't have to hide as long, they could still barely move no thanks to the nerve-wracking experience they just had.

"...T-that was… That was just..." Nya tried to say something but she found herself unable to think of the right words to use.

"Don't bother," Lloyd responded, "I don't think there's any words to describe what just happened..."

"What are we gonna tell the others?"

"The truth."

* * *

One by one, each ninja duo returned to their hideout and had to admit they couldn't find anything.

"I guess this was all for nothing." Cole sighed in defeat.

"I knew it! I should've known better than to trust the news!" Iris lamented.

"You did all you could," Master Wu attempted to appease his apprentices, "You can't expect results on every task that has been set out for you. Being a ninja isn't all about excitement and neither is life."

"Wait a sec. We're missing one more pair." Luna quickly noticed there was something amiss. Soon, the rest of the team figured out what was wrong.

"Where's Lloyd and Nya…?" Jay couldn't find the last pair and quickly grew worried, especially for Nya.

"Damn! We gotta go find them!" Kai donned his mask again and was ready to go find his sister before his teammates could say a single word to him.

Just before the ninja can set out again, the green ninja and kunoichi of water returned. The first thing their teammates noticed were their expressions. They looked like they just saw some sort of horrifying eldritch abomination and then it sucked all the blood out of them.

"What happened?" Kai's big brother instincts kicked in and he made a beeline for his sister to check on her, "Did you find the Shark Army? Did they hurt you? Didn't Lloyd do anything at all? Why didn't you do anything!?" The fire ninja's temper started to take over and he soon started targeting Lloyd himself.

"Kai, stop it!" Cole scolded his hotheaded ally.

"Lloyd, Nya, tell us what you saw." Master Wu immediately interrogated the last duo to arrive.

The green ninja and silver kunoichi threw a quick glance at one another before the

"We saw him..." Lloyd finally said something yet his voice was hardly anything beyond a whisper.

"Him? Who are you talking about?" Aria was confused and so were the other ninja, who still felt that this was not going to end well.

Lloyd and Nya shared a quick glance at one another. It's no use hiding anything from them. They knew this was going to happen sooner or later. The least they can do is spit it out and get it over with.

"We saw… Lord Garmadon..." Nya confessed.

The whole warehouse was immediately overflowing with a sense of dread and foreboding. Just as Wu expected, the ninja started asking Lloyd and Nya a bunch of questions they probably couldn't answer.

"Now isn't the time to ask questions," Master Wu got between the duo who saw his brother and the rest of his students, as if defending the former, "High levels of stress isn't good for anyone, especially protectors of Ninjago City. I advise you all to return to your homes and replenish your strength."

"But Garmadon -" Iris tried to say something but her teacher wasn't having any of it.

"I already made my decision. Try to have a good night." The old man pretty much kicked out the ninja.

They'll have to discuss about Garmadon tomorrow…

* * *

Koko was starting to worry when it was getting late but Lloyd still hasn't come home from those study sessions with his friends. Luckily, he came home before she was at the end of her patience. Her relief ended up being short-lived when she got a good look at him.

"Lloyd, is something wrong? You look a little pale." Koko noticed her son's change in complexion along with his eerily blank expression the very second he came home.

"It's nothing." The green-eyed teen brushed off his mother's concern but Koko knew from experience that 'nothing' wouldn't make him act more gloomy than unusual.

"That lie isn't going to work," His mother persisted, "I know something has happened and I want you to tell me so I can help you. Lloyd, please. Tell me what's wrong."

"I did a little bit of thinking and I couldn't help but wonder… how would… Garmadon react if he ever sees me in person…?" Her son asked though she also noticed that he sighed and paused many times like he was struggling to come up with an answer as he goes. Koko still decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and carry on...

"What… what made you begin to think about the idea?" Koko continued asking questions. She wasn't going to let up until her son can find it in himself to be honest with her.

"Um… there was the breaking news and… I know Garmadon's in the volcano base… He's so close yet… so far..."

"I know how you feel -"

"You sure? You really know what it's like to have everyone's opinion of you be decided by some other person who wasn't even in your life?"

"I can't say I've been through the exact same thing but I have faced similar issues. Lloyd, complaining about your problems won't make them go away and could even make them worse. You still have a lot of things that make you happy. You have your friends, uncle, and your own love of creating unique and original things. There are both good and bad things in this world but that's part of what makes living… well… living. You can't experience one without having your share of the other. That's how life works."

"And what if I don't want life to be this way?"

"Lloyd, don't say such things! You still have many more years ahead of you! You can't give up now!"

Koko wrapped her arms around her son as if to protect him from this cruel world. Lloyd was normally comforted by the embrace of the only parent he had but his mother's touch didn't help this time.

"Mom, I think I need some time to myself..." Lloyd pulled away from Koko's grasp.

"Okay then… I'll go ahead and cook up your favorites for dinner." His mother believed him… for now.

Lloyd splashed his face with cold water in the bathroom but even when his nerves were jolted by the frigid temperature, he still felt uneasy. He's been feeling that way ever since he got out of the mission in one piece.

'Of course. Why else would I be uneasy after seeing my dad for the very first time?'

The green ninja stared at his reflection for answers but all he got was the visage of his haggard self. He was a complete wreck to put it lightly. Lloyd's emotional crisis was interrupted by the ferocious growls of his food-deprived stomach. If he's gonna be stressed out for the rest of the night, he might as well do it on a full stomach.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kai and Nya had an awkward walk back to their abode. There was so much Kai wanted to say to his sister and Nya in turn was very much aware of it but they were still out in public. They must wait until they get home but the journey back felt much longer than usual. Each step felt like a whole mile and each second felt like an hour. They were very close to ripping their hair out in frustration by the time they _finally_ reached their house in the Ignacia district.

"Mom, Dad. We're home." The Hinata siblings still had to act like nothing unusual happened once they returned to their parents. With them home, they still can't talk about what just happened and all the bottled up feelings were starting to eat up Kai's psyche from the inside out.

"Kai, is something wrong?" Maya noticed the way her son kept glancing at Nya during dinner.

"I'm fine! Yup! I'm perfectly fine!" The hot-blooded teen suddenly shouted, only making his answer all the more unconvincing. The occasional twitches of his face didn't help either. His sister wasn't looking much better either with the way she kept averting her eyes from her family's. It wasn't like her at all.

"Do you think they're starting to..." Ray whispered to his wife.

"Now isn't the time," Maya whispered back, "We should cherish the peace we have as of now."

Her husband looked at her in concern for a moment before relenting. She had a point and he didn't all those years of hard work go to waste so soon and time waits for no one. They'll still have to wait but patience wasn't exactly Ray's forte. For now, he'll have to endure...

* * *

Garmadon had a hard time sleeping in his lair that night. He turned to his side to look at the glowing numbers on the clock atop his nightstand. The bright '3:30 AM' shone, much to his frustration. He was tossing and turning on his bed for hours. He hadn't had trouble sleeping in a long time, not since she left him along with their…

'Why can't I sleep? What's wrong with me?' The dark lord sat up on the edge of his bed. He stared at his four hands laying on his lap as if the answers were there.

'But I'm already doing everything I can to conquer Ninjago. What is there to miss?' Garmadon became even more confused by these strange feelings.

He couldn't shake off this strange feeling he had ever since he returned to his volcano base. It was as if there was something he should've done but didn't. He got everything he needed in Ninjago City and as far as he knew, he didn't waste any time to get them.

Why does he keep feeling he should've done more?

The dark lord got up and opened the pitch black curtains of his bedroom to stare at the ever glowing skyline of Ninjago City. The metropolis was still thriving and it was there he must've missed something but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what. He already knew his wife, her child, and his parents' son lived in the city so they don't count. All he knew was that whatever was missing was also dwelling in the city. He might not be able to rest until he finds it and when he does, maybe for once, he'll have a good night's sleep in more than ten years.

* * *

The ninja knew better than to even speak to Lloyd when he arrived at Ninjago High this morning. The green ninja still looked completely out of it if the dark skin underneath his bloodshot eyes, extremely pale flesh, or slight slouch in his posture indicated anything. Even with his less than stellar appearance, it was nothing compared to what's going on in Lloyd's head.

'All I did was get one look at Garmadon in person and it already got me on edge. What will happen if we do meet face to face? Will he be able to recognize me?'

Lloyd felt a familiar pain in his chest close to his 'mole' but he pressed on since it's nothing compared to the emotional crisis rampaging in his head.

The other ninja still gave him company but had enough sense to not prod him for any details, or at all.

"Look what we have here!" A bitchy voice ruined what little peace the ninja had.

Looks like Violet is up to her mean ways as usual. Kai immediately put himself between the mean girl and Lloyd, acting like a shield.

"Get out of the way, hair gel," The cheerleader bitch sneered at the spiky-haired teen, "I only talk with people who actually matter."

"Then what you're really saying is that Lloyd's actually important?" The fire ninja dished it back.

"Getting attention doesn't have anything to do with importance!" The snooty bitch scoffed.

"So you're also implying you're not important?" Nya was next to take a potshot at the queen bee but was ignored.

"You think you're so special because your dad is well-known all over Ninjago City but guess what? He's evil and everybody hates him and they hate you too and even with that, he doesn't do a whole lot. At least _my_ daddy has an important job and he actually does it. He's works at the seat of government and is a big name in Ninjago City's politics. My family can back up our wealth while your dad's all talk. If he brags about being evil, then he should at prove it."

The other ninja could've sworn they saw a dark aura emanate from the young pariah. He was already going through even more stress than he does on a daily basis and knew this wasn't going to end well. Too bad Violet was one of those bitches who fed off of others' misery and kept going.

"Violet, you better stop." Cole tried to warn her.

"You're not the boss of me, beefcake!" She briefly snapped at him. The muscular teen can only shrug in defeat while she continued her charade of the most hated teen in Ninjago.

"Listen, Garmadon Junior! Your dad's just a poser and no woman would ever want to be with him but wait! You still have your mother do you? Too bad she's no better than you cuz she was just a horny slut who was desperate to have anyone go down on her! Maybe that's why you were even born in the first place! You're an accident!"

Everyone was already expecting something to happen but not what happened next.

Lloyd shoved Violet with all the strength he had and the force alone was enough to knock her down. A loud bang echoed in the halls when the back of her head collided with the lockers. While Violet wasn't knocked out cold, everyone around them still gasped at what they just saw. The mean girl slowly got up onto her feet and felt that her meticulously styled hair she worked two hours a day on a daily basis got messed up from the impact and that was much worse than the headache she was also feeling.

"You…!" Violet growled darkly towards the green-eyed outcast. For a moment, everyone thought she was going to kill him on that very spot and some of the less mature teens started chanting for a fight.

"You… RUINED… **MY…** _ **HAIR!"**_ The queen bee screeched in the outcast's face.

Before Violet could maul Lloyd, an authoritative figure heard the commotion and broke up the tension before things could get uglier than they already are.

"What just happened?" The principal marched over to the scene.

The other ninja saw hints of a very nasty smirk from Violet before she tattled on their companion.

"Waaaaaahhhhhh! Principal Andreasen! Lloyd attacked me!" The mean girl started to shed crocodile tears and it's only because she's popular that no one dared call her out for stretching the truth. Well, most of them.

"Are you kidding me!?" Kai wasn't going to let her get away with her lie, "He only shoved you and you started it in the first place!"

It was too late. Even the staff hate Lloyd and would jump at any given opportunity to punish him.

"Lloyd Garmadon! Come to my office right now!" The principal commanded.

Lloyd can do nothing but lower his head in recognition and started following her to the office.

"This isn't fair! Lloyd, you gotta stand up for yourself!" Nya urged her friend to tell the truth, "You gave that bitch what she deserved! Why should you be the one in trouble!?"

Lloyd still didn't say anything and didn't even spare his teammates a backward glance. He just obeyed the principal and followed her and Violet to the office and soon, the commotion was forgotten by the rest of the students.

"This is troubling, indeed." Zane spoke.

"You just _had_ to choose this moment to say it, did you?" Jay glanced at the nindroid.

"No. I observed Lloyd's face when he pushed Violet. It was only for one-hundredth of a second so let me show you." The white ninja's eyes set out a hologram replaying the scenario and he paused at the precise moment he saw what troubled him.

"How is that possible…?" Aria gasped.

The ninja were glued to what they were seeing. For a very brief moment, Lloyd looked very similar to his despised father, especially his eyes. No matter how many times they blinked, it looked the same.

For even less than one second, his emerald eyes turned blood red…

* * *

 **I'm sure we've all met people like Violet in some point in our lives but yeah, as a reference to my old headcanon of Lloyd having both green & red eyes, his eyes in this story turn red when he's SUPER pissed. There's still more drama in the next chapter so stick around & please review!**


	70. No Good Deed

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Once again, this chapter will begin where the last one left off. Again, there will be some drama & delve into some some issues so… enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 69: No Good Deed

Lloyd sat in front of the desk in Principal Andreasen's office, staring back at the principal who looked even more pissed off than usual. The ticking of the clock was all that can be heard in the room and it was starting to drive him insane. Each tick felt like a hammer slamming down on his own skull.

"You've been a thorn on everyone's side ever since you first came here, you know that?" The principal finally spoke after what felt like an eternity of nothing but sanity-draining clockwork sounds, "Still, we have to abide by the laws and deal with you. Even now, as much as it would elate me to see you leave this school for good, I'll still have to continue obeying the laws of Ninjago City."

Lloyd wasn't fazed by the principal's words at all. It was no secret that even she despised him.

"Lloyd, I'm going to have to call your mother." Principal Andreasen reached for her phone to call Koko.

The green ninja felt his blood run cold but couldn't do anything about it. He was already in way more trouble than he's ever been in and he didn't want any humiliation to rub salt on the wound. He can do nothing but sit there while the principal dialed the number of his mother's phone...

* * *

Koko was concerned the moment the number for Ninjago High flashed on her phone. Despite having a rough time at school to put it lightly, Lloyd would never cause any trouble… until now...

"Hello…?" She accepted the call to find out what's really going on.

"This is Principal Andreasen," The person calling her answered, "I must inform you that your son, Lloyd Garmadon, has committed an act of violence on school grounds."

Koko was shocked but even more confused. Lloyd knew better than to make his already terrible social life even worse and as pessimistic as he is, he never physically lashed out at anybody. But maybe she doesn't know her son as well as she thought...

"I-I don't know what to say…" She could only stutter.

"We'll have plenty of time to talk at school." The principal replied before ending the call.

Koko was still unsure what to make of all this. It looks like the only way to know the truth is to abide by Principal Andreasen's words and go see her son...

* * *

Lloyd usually found solace within his mother but today was different. He can't tell what she might be thinking when she arrived and he was pretty sure he wouldn't want to know. She didn't say anything to him at all, only seating herself next to him and staring back at the principal with an eerily calm face.

"Mrs. Garmadon," Principal Andreasen started, "This morning, Lloyd attacked another student in the halls. The victim, Violet Miller, only suffered a minor headache but he could've done something much worse if he continued."

"Lloyd, is that true?" Koko looked at her son. Lloyd didn't actually look at her but he knew she did it.

"All I did was push her." He confessed.

"And her head collided with lockers. If it were something else like a fire extinguisher, she could've had a serious injury or worse." The principal reminded Lloyd.

"Maybe we don't know the full story." Koko still pressed the principal for more details.

"Mrs. Garmadon, your son attacked someone. There is no way that could ever be justified."

"I'm not making any excuses. I just want to know every single detail. I would like for my son to explain for himself."

"So be it."

Lloyd felt even more nervous at the thought of telling the whole thing to his mother. He had no idea how she'll take it and that only made him all the more reluctant to tell her.

"Lloyd, tell me what really happened." Koko interrogated him, which didn't make it any better for him.

The green-eyed teen hesitated for several moments, unsure of how his mother will handle someone deeming her a 'horny slut'. As long as she's here, the truth will come out, no matter how much effort he'll go through to delay it.

Should he tell her the truth and get it over with or keep playing chase?

"You must tell me the truth, Lloyd." His mother still goaded him to answer.

Looks like he'll have to tell the truth.

"Violet kept talking about how her father was much better than mine and said that you were a horny slut. She said that's the only reason why I was born. She said I was an accident." Lloyd's fist started to shake as he recalled what he did to the queen bee right after she said that.

Koko felt a raging inferno ignite the core of her being and it wasn't because of what Violet called her. She couldn't care less of what Violet perceived her to be. Her son was certainly not an accident and he shouldn't be the one to pay for her actions and mistakes. Even if she was already angry at Violet, she was more upset at her parents. They were the ones who should've reigned their daughter in but they obviously failed and never let her know any better.

"Is that why you pushed her?"

Lloyd only nodded but that said enough for his mother.

"Principal Andreasen, would you mind if I have a word with you… alone…?" Koko requested.

"Mom, what are you -"

"Lloyd, go wait in the front." Koko's voice was low yet stern, making it clear she was being serious.

The principal paused for a moment before relenting.

"This will take a while so wait outside and don't think about doing anything suspicious." The principal still glared at the teenage pariah until she and Koko shooed him out of the office.

Lloyd took a seat next to the door but now that he's all alone, he had all the time in the world to think over his situation and actions. In short, it's not helping him one bit.

* * *

While Lloyd was in the principal's office, all the other students were in much higher spirits. As long as he's not around, they don't have to be reminded of the dark lord who ruins everything. Never mind he has nothing to do with his father's profession. If someone's a bad person, then anyone related to them in any way are just as awful. It makes perfect sense.

"I'm surprised they waited until now to deal with that little shit."

"Who cares? We're finally free!"

"I hope they suspend him."

"Or better yet, get him expelled."

Everyone in Ninjago High were glad that Lloyd's gone and the entire school was like one big party and everyone was celebrating and having a blast. That is except for the ninja.

"I'm still pissed that Lloyd's the only one in trouble!" Kai's fists shook and turned white with rage.

"Same," Nya nodded, "But I'm still more angry at Violet. That bitch deserves much worse. She's lucky all Lloyd did was shove her. If it were me, I would..."

"Nya, that's enough," Cole gripped her shoulder as if it would stop her from going on a tirade about all the things she would've done to Violet which were _not_ family-friendly, "What's done is done. As much as we'd like to, we can never change the past. There's no use complaining about something that can't be changed."

"You just had to remind us, didn't you?" The red ninja snapped at his teammate.

"Kai, please. Not now." Jay begged, not wanting to witness another ugly conflict in school.

"We should've done something but we just stood there like a bunch of dead cats!" The red ninja kept complaining, much to the others' displeasure.

"Unfortunately, that seems to be how the school rules are," Iris sighed, "You get in trouble for standing up for yourself while the bad guys get out scot-free."

"And what about the brief physical change in Lloyd?" Zane pointed out.

"We can wait until training and Master Wu can explain it." Aria quickly brushed it off.

"But this could be a sign of something serious," Heather refuted, "Garmadon's the only person in all of Ninjago to have red eyes. And don't forget that mole he got. The implications are right in front of us."

The ninja all had collective thoughts of what would happen if Lloyd ended up like his father. The green ninja doubled over in pain while more moles appeared on his body and grew bigger and consumed his flesh until it was entirely black and a second pair of arms burst from his sides in painful details. Lastly, his eyes glowed red when he got up and put on an ornate helmet not unlike Garmadon's and cackled. The green ninja now became the spitting image of his father and the rest of the Secret Ninja Force will have to fight against one of their own. They were starting to get freaked out by their little fantasy that was starting to get out of hand.

"Okay, that's enough," Nya swatted at the thought clouds until they were dissolved, "Now that we got those nasty thoughts in our head, how are we going to deal with the idea of Lloyd turning evil?"

Too bad the ninja were at a complete loss for answers.

* * *

While his mother was having a one-on-one talk with the principal, Lloyd thought back on what he just did and how he felt at that moment. All those years of bottled-up anger and frustration finally spilled out and he made someone feel even a small fraction of the pain he felt all his life. He felt a whole lot of emotions and thoughts at that moment and he couldn't pinpoint which one he felt the most.

Emerald eyes gazed down on his hands that shook from the tumult of emotions. Fingers clenched and unfurled in a seemingly endless cycle. There were too many things Lloyd felt in his head to count when he pushed Violet. He felt an incredible weight lift from his chest only for another to take its place. He also felt a slight sense of guilt, which was a given, but he also felt something that wasn't negative...

There was a small part of him that… liked it…

Was that what revenge feels like?

If that's what revenge is… then revenge feels good.

'W-what am I thinking…!? I know I'm better than this… Am I…?'

There's no way in hell Lloyd would want to have even one thing in common with Garmadon. That evil bastard already ruined his life and he was already a ninja training to rid Ninjago of the dark lord.

'But as a ninja, there's so much more you could do,' His psyche spoke to him, 'You finally got your first taste of revenge. You can't deny how delicious it was. Makes you crave for more, doesn't it?'

'Shut up! I'm not gonna end up like Garmadon and I'm certainly not a creep!' Lloyd fought back.

'It's a little too late for that. You're already having an argument with yourself. If that doesn't make you a creep, I don't know what does.'

'Damn!'

* * *

While Lloyd was facing an emotional crisis, Koko and Principal Andreasen went into a heated debate in the latter's office.

"I don't understand why you would punish an act of self-defense," Koko argued with the principal, "My son may not be perfect and while I do not condone what he did, I still won't blame him for doing it."

"No matter what kind of motives your son had, he still hurt an innocent person." Principal Andreasen argued back.

"Violet was _not_ innocent. She verbally assaulted my son. I can't believe how you keep making all those campaigns against bullying when all you do to my son is bully him and it's not only him. I've heard of a lot of cases of children and teens trying to talk to the school staff about being bullied but all you do is sweep them under the rug and in some cases, even defend the bullies. Also, you only pay attention if the victims fight back or do something about it and you only punish them. I seriously think this school is in need of some big changes."

"If that's how you feel, then maybe you should reevaluate your own choices."

There were plenty of times Koko was tempted to don her old armor and strike down anyone. She was beyond disgusted at how skewed today's society really is. Too bad she was in no position to do much about it. She must protect her son more than anything.

"It's only because the laws deem it mandatory that I have to keep having my son attend this cesspool of judgemental bullies." Koko's voice was colder than the frigid northern lands of Ninjago.

"And I can't let your son go unpunished." The principal still held on to the school rules.

The former warrior glared back. She now started to have second thoughts about her past choices. She didn't protect Ninjago so it can become such a judgemental society and treat anybody who's different as even lesser beings than cockroaches. This isn't the kind of society she wanted to raise her son in. It was still either this or give Garmadon an heir for his tyrannical ways. There was also a third choice to just run away from it all. As tempting as that was, Koko knew that won't make her problems go away.

She'll have to make a choice...

* * *

Even with the jubilation going on in Ninjago High, the daily routines of school life went on. Although it was much easier on the elated students and teachers, the ninja still found no joy in the celebrations. It also happens to be Taco Tuesday today, which was the only reason why Kai and Cole would ever go to Ninjago High. Now, the food-loving ninja were too concerned for their friend to even eat one just one bite of edible euphoria laying right in front of them. That's how bad things really are for the ninja.

Meanwhile, Nya and Zane kept glaring at Violet who was sitting at the popular teens' table. That bitch kept bragging how she saved Ninjago High from Lloyd and was already expecting special treatment for it. They would've gone and done something about it but they were all too aware of the school rules.

The cheers from students and staff suddenly died down and the ninja knew that can mean one thing.

Looks like Lloyd did survive his meeting with the principal and walking next to him was his mother. The ninja didn't expect her to arrive though it shouldn't be too surprising since Ninjago High was making such a big deal out of this. She didn't look too happy either, which also didn't confound her son's few friends. No mother would like to hear that their child got in big trouble at school. But while she looked angry, there was something in her eyes that had the ninja thinking that her anger wasn't aimed at her son. They also didn't blame her. The school system is utter shit. Once again, Violet gave the pariah her trademark cruel smirk, which hadn't gone unnoticed.

"You little bitch! I'm gonna burn your freakin' face off!" Kai lunged towards her from the ninja's table.

"Kai! Stop it!" Nya scolded her brother while she and Cole had to hold him down.

Meanwhile, the other ninja wanted to check on Lloyd but after everything that's happened, they knew better and decided to give him some much-needed space.

"I have to go through two full months of detention," Lloyd grumbled, "There. I said it. Now mind your own businesses."

"Lloyd, don't be rude." Koko calmly admonished him and led him out of the school.

"Wait. I thought you'd be going back to class after this." Iris spoke.

The kunoichi of metal never got an answer. Lloyd and his mother left the school without another word and no sooner did the doors close that everyone sans the ninja were celebrating again.

"This can't be good," Jay observed, "If all these bad things keep happening to Lloyd, he might turn evil and destroy us all."

"Then it looks like we're gonna have to do something about it." Heather replied.

"Then what do you expect us to do?" Aria asked, "Turn into a bunch of creeps and monitor his every move twenty-four seven?"

"I do not think that is what Heather's suggestion entails." Zane answered.

"Then what exactly are you trying to get at?" Luna interrogated the kunoichi of nature.

"I was thinking that since we're now ninja, we should stick together, help each other out, and all that cliched stuff."

"That's not cliched at all," Cole said, "We're a team now so we're gonna have to support one another but let's not forget that it's not all about Lloyd. We're the Secret Ninja Force, not the green ninja and the others."

"But that's how everybody sees us nowadays." Kai gritted his teeth. He may care for Lloyd but he still resents being all but forgotten by the public.

The warning bell rang and everyone had to get back to class. The ninja were no exception and had to get ready for their next classes. Had the circumstances been different, they would've envied Lloyd for going home early.

* * *

Once the ninja arrived for training, they were tempted to show Master Wu the footage Zane caught of Lloyd's eyes turning red but as long as the green ninja's around, they weren't too keen on showing it. After all the shit he's been going through since their last mission, the last thing the ninja wanted their teammate to do was to suffer an overload of rage and explode. They have yet to say anything but Wu already figured out they were concerned and wanted to talk to him. It was going to happen sooner or later and he was patient enough to wait for that moment to come.

Finally, the ninja had their break and Lloyd made a beeline for the pseudo workplace for the mechs.

"Do you think we can show it to him now?" Heather whispered to Zane once Lloyd started working on the various machinery the ninja currently had at their disposal.

"Lloyd's usually in his own world when working with machines," Jay replied, "Believe me. We're both in the auto club and I've seen how he gets."

Master Wu had his moment of solitude and tea interrupted by the ninja but he was always willing to lend overly cryptic words of wisdom and he already knew this was coming.

"Master Wu, there is something we must show you." Zane was the first to speak to their teacher.

"Go on." The bearded old man encouraged his students to continue.

Zane showed his old mentor the image of Lloyd precisely at the moment his eyes turned red. Master Wu's expressions were always tough to read but the can tell he was troubled by what he saw.

"I was hoping this wouldn't happen..." Wu sighed sadly.

"What do you mean?" Luna tilted her head in confusion.

"Garmadon wasn't born evil. Each and every one of us is like the yin and yang -"

"We want to know what's going on with Lloyd, not more of this philosophy crap." The ever impatient Kai interrupted, much to Nya's annoyance.

"You're gonna have to learn this to fully understand what I'm getting at," Master Wu scolded the fire ninja before continuing, "As I was saying, we all have a good side and a dark side. Garmadon and I are the same but one day, my brother let his evil ambitions take over and as they grew, they changed his appearance. But no matter what he looks like, he'll still be my brother and Lloyd's father."

"But those red eyes could be a sign he'll end up like Garmadon." Iris said.

"Perhaps," Wu remained surprisingly level-headed about it, "However, all of you have your differences yet you have no qualms about working together. Even Lloyd has his differences outside of his lineage. So what difference will a change in appearance make?"

"This isn't about looks," Heather reminded him, "It's about what this could mean for Ninjago. What if Lloyd does end up like his father?"

"Deep down, I know Garmadon is the same brother I grew up with. People are constantly changing. I do understand your concerns about what Lloyd could do in the future. Again, it is up to Lloyd to decide what kind of person he'll be in the future. As his friends, you should support him and offer guidance."

"But you're also his uncle. Shouldn't you also help prevent him from turning evil?" Jay pointed out.

"As important as we are in Lloyd's life, only Lloyd alone can decide what his fate will be. All we can do for him is to guide him in the path of the ninja but don't forget to do it for each other. You are a team."

The ninja couldn't fully decipher what Master Wu meant but they got the gist of it.

Now all they'll have to do is wait until Lloyd is a bit more approachable and then they can help…

* * *

 **We all know how much school sucks. The stuff talked about in this chapter is based on my experiences in school. But after all the drama that's been going on, maybe a lighthearted chapter's in order. Until then, review!**


	71. Crank Up the Heat

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Wow! I can't believe September is over already! After all the craziness in the last few chapters, I think a more slow-paced one is in order. There will be some humor here & there but this is mostly a breather chapter. Also, we're getting close to the 1st anniversary of this story & I do have a very special chapter planned for it. But for now, read on!**

* * *

Chapter 70: Crank Up the Heat

Today's just another average day in Ninjago City with people going about their daily lives like shopping for stuff, lazing around at the beach, and…

SMASH!

Being terrorized by the forces of Lord Garmadon.

The Shark Army were at it again and they managed to build a new mech to replace the shark that was utterly thrashed by the Mech Dragon though this one was made in the image of a crab.

As always, the Secret Ninja Force were quick to defend the townsfolk. The green ninja made a majestic entrance on his Mech Dragon but for the first time, the draconian construct wasn't the only one that the ninja brought to the battlefield.

A loud battle cry echoed and a second mech appeared seemingly from out of nowhere. The abstract humanoid mech jumped and landed next to the Mech Dragon. Piloting this new mechanism was the red ninja, who was already more than a little eager to show what this baby can do.

"Time to crank up the heat!" The hot-blooded ninja boasted from within the torso slash cockpit of his Fire Mech.

"Nah! I think you better cool down!" A feminine voice retorted and a third ninja mech joined in. This one made the citizens think of a spider with the multiple limbs attached to the cockpit that looked like the one on the Fire Mech. Controlling this mech was the silver kunoichi who seemed just as eager to test out her personal contraption as much as her teammate who some suspect might be her sibling.

"What!? Now these guys have _three_ mechs!? That's not fair!" The Shark Army bemoaned the enemies having more mechs than them.

"You have the numbers, we have the mechs. It evens out." The green ninja retorted.

"Are you done talking now?" The orange kunoichi asked, itching for a fight.

"You know the drill, guys."

"NINJA GO!"

Most of the ninja fought the Shark Army on foot while the three ninja with their mechs teamed up to fend off the crab mech.

The humanoid Fire Mech fought with its fists against the crab while the Water Strider distracted it by crawling all over it like a spider and sometimes spewing water at it. The crab mech showed issues with mobility and the two ninja mechs took advantage of it. The Water Strider never stopped moving and the Fire Mech held nothing back until the Shark Army's sole mech was immobilized.

"Now!" The water mech leaped out of the way for the fire mech to do its thing.

"FIYAAAHHHH!" The red ninja turned on the flamethrowers that also served as the fire mech's arms to roast the crab mech.

The other ninja on foot witnessed the battle of the mechs and this was their moment.

Zane pinpointed the vulnerable parts of the new crab mech, which were mostly its joints. The ice ninja fired his arrows with frightening accuracy and the large crustacean keeled over and one of its massive mechanical claws collapsed. The black ninja and teal kunoichi dived right in and beat up the remaining claw with their warhammer and mace. At the same time, the blue ninja threw the sickle of his weapon towards the joint, ensnaring it. The orange kunoichi then swooped in and threw one of her daggers at it, nearly severing the claw. Now only a few wires were the only thing connecting the claw to the main body. Now was the moment for the finishing blow.

"Now is the moment to strike!" The white ninja urged the green ninja to attack with the Mech Dragon.

The draconian mechanism swooped in with a piercing roar and slammed its jaws shut around the crab mech's remaining claw. The sound of metal scraping against more metal had everyone wince for a few seconds until the claw was severed. General #1, who was piloting the mech, bailed out the second the emergency siren within the cockpit activated. The general's seat burst out of the crab mech's body and landed unceremoniously on the sand face-first and it was only then that the parachute activated.

"It's still not fair!" The Shark Army's higher-up still ranted about the three mechs like a little brat, "You only won cuz you have more mechs!"

"Boss, we have to retreat!" The other lackeys weren't too keen on continuing the fight.

"This isn't the end! Lord Garmadon will come after you one day! You'll be sorry!" The Shark Army left and victory belonged to the Secret Ninja Force once again.

"Let's hear it for the green ninja!" The townspeople cheered for the ninja leader yet again.

The rest of the Secret Ninja Force were still frustrated that only Lloyd kept getting all the attention.

"Do we even exist to these guys!?" Nya was beyond annoyed that all her efforts to prove herself was still completely forgotten in favor of Lloyd, who pretty much did the same thing.

"To be fair, he was the one who took down the crab mech." Aria said.

"So did we!" The Hinata siblings glowered at the kunoichi of wind from their mechs that also seemed to look down at her with a menacing aura. She felt like a helpless little mouse under their death glare and backed away nervously.

"What's done is done," Cole tried getting the competitive siblings to calm down, "All that matters is we drove back the Shark Army. Let's head back."

The siblings relented and followed their teammates back to the hideout and yes, they were still inside their mechs. The silver kunoichi headed back by sea with her Water Strider while the red ninja stayed on dry land, which wasn't a good thing.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" Lloyd asked his teammate.

"Me? Sure? I'm as sure as I'm ever gonna get!" Kai bragged and inadvertently caused the Fire Mech to turn around and it ended up demolishing the corner of one of the buildings.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The citizens complained over the damage the mech was causing.

"My bad." The red ninja apologized halfheartedly.

The other ninja felt embarrassed but there's not much they can do about it and for the green ninja, he knew there's something much worse that awaits him.

* * *

Lloyd was stuck doing homework while in detention. It's only been a week since the two month-long punishment began and he can only wonder why the school didn't just kick him out. Everybody hated him and he hated school. It would've been a blessing in disguise for both sides but because of the laws of the city, he _must_ attend school. His mother claimed she had to negotiate with Principal Andreasen to let him stay but not get out of the incident with Violet unscathed.

Lloyd flinched a bit when the door suddenly opened and his heartbeat slowed down the moment he saw a familiar face.

"Cole?" The green ninja was surprised to see the earth ninja in detention. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to cause trouble.

"Ms. Moorington kept nagging me to turn down the music during class," Cole immediately explained why he was in trouble, "But music is what helps me draw and isn't music just another form of art?"

"Sure it is." Lloyd grumbled before returning to his homework.

The black ninja was soon lost in his own world with heavy metal tunes so loud his teammate can hear it very clearly even through his headphones. It still didn't bother him since nothing can top the torture he goes through on a daily basis.

"And over here, you'll find the son of Garmadon dwelling where he belongs." A voice outside brought both ninja's attention.

For some reason, there was a tour guide in school leading a bunch of people to the room where Lloyd and Cole were staying.

"And there's also another defiant student who is trapped alongside the dark lord's unholy spawn. All we can do pray for his poor soul." The guide pointed at Cole, who simply rolled his eyes at the strange happenings of Ninjago.

"Since when did the school become a freakin' zoo!?" Lloyd ranted, frightening some of the tourists.

"Well, us teens are prisoners in a school and forced to do a ton of things against our will so we aren't that much different from the animals cooped up in a zoo already." The black ninja still shrugged off the people gawking at them.

Seriously, is there anything that ever gets this guy on edge?

"Mommy, I'm scared!" One of the kids clung to his mother while staring at Lloyd. He heard many scary things about him from his peers such as the rumor that he sneaks out at night and steal all the other kids' candy or the other one about him being able to summon evil snakes.

"Don't worry, Samuel," His parent consoled him, "The staff have him under control."

Lloyd pulled the strings of his hoodie, scrunching up the hood until it concealed most of his face. The outcast can't believe how two-faced these people are. They love him when he dons his ninja mask and gi to save the day as the green ninja but hate him when he shows his true self.

"Oh yeah. He's really dangerous," Cole said rather calmly, much to Lloyd's confusion, "It's a good thing that door is the only thing that's between you and the oh-so-scary spawn of the worst guy ever. I don't want you to get traumatized by the scary things I've seen him do."

"L-like what…?"

"Oh, the usual. Unveiling his true monstrous form or feeding human flesh to the dragons he owns."

The tourists were completely unnerved by the other guy's disturbingly serene demeanor as he talked about the things the son of Garmadon was capable of. They didn't even need to be told twice to make a run for it. The green ninja was glad they were gone but was astonished that they would buy his ally's lie so easily.

"What was that about?" Lloyd still had no idea what just happened.

"People will believe anything they hear," The black ninja explained, "Why else do those products with weird commercials still sell?"

"You sure about that…?"

* * *

Jay lazed in front of the TV at home during the commercial break and a certain ad caught his eye.

"Introducing the brand new limited edition blueberry soda fizzy chew!" The announcers yelled at the kids and anyone watching the screen while a bunch of young women wearing weird costumes danced and the cameras do extreme close-ups of them whenever they ate the new candy.

"Eat it and all your troubles will melt away!" The announcer screamed at the end of the commercial.

The lightning ninja did have many troubles in his life and he also would like to rid himself of them...

"Mom, I'm gonna go out for a bit." Jay called his mother while getting ready to go out and buy the new candy for himself.

"Okay, sweetie! Be back before dinner!"

* * *

Heather and Luna found themselves chatting with one another during the ninja's usual breaks.

"It's been quite a while since we got to hang out," Luna spoke, "So what have you been up to lately?"

"The usual," Heather replied, "Going through school and working at the flower shop. Nothing new."

"And I'm still practicing for the upcoming musical. I guess I can say the same."

"Wanna see what kind of anime is on now?"

"Sure."

The two kunoichi watched the various anime on TV but most of them were airing a 'beach episode'.

"That kind of stuff really irks me," Luna let out an annoyed sigh, "In just about every anime, there's the obligatory beach episode. It's always just there and the girls don't even get much interactions. All they do is wear bikini and play volleyball. It's like the writers and artists do this as an excuse to shove in as much fanservice as possible and cater to the perverts in the darkest parts of the fandom."

"I hate it too. It's almost as bad as when I'm in the middle of a conversation and someone else pops up and tries to get in on it." Heather added.

Unbeknownst to Heather, Zane was trying to approach her and Luna to offer some homemade snacks when she talked about how she hated having others interfere with her conversations. Being the sweet nindroid he is, the ice ninja chose not to interrupt and back away. Literally. With the wheels built into his feet, the white ninja slid backwards without saying a word.

The girls kept watching the obligatory anime fanservice and they finally had enough when one of the characters began eating a slice of watermelon in that godawful cutesy anime girl eating style.

"Oh my god, I can't stand that either!" The teal kunoichi complained, "Why do these girls always feel a need to make that 'haaah-om' whenever they take a bite!? And it's hardly a real bite at all! It's barely a nibble and they bite with their lips!"

"Cuteness is good and all. Heck, even I have a soft spot for cutesy things but there's still such a thing as 'too much cute'. Now I understand why some people are saying moe is killing anime." The kunoichi of sound agreed.

"Enough of this bullshit. Let's see what else is on."

The kunoichi flipped through the channels but the only thing that was remotely interesting was anime and all them were filled with moeblob crap.

"Zane, did you make anything?" Luna noticed the nindroid putting away an empty box and it was the one he usually served his homemade goodies in.

"I have made some caramel cream puffs but Heather said she dislikes interruptions so I had to wait." The white ninja answered.

"What!? You could've offered again once we were done talking!" Heather also wasn't too pleased to miss out on the nindroid's wonderful cooking.

"But Iris took the last one before you ended your conversation." Zane replied.

"Iris! That's not fair!" Luna whined and beat her fists on Iris shoulder like a child who didn't get what they wanted for their birthday.

"As they saying goes, first come, first serve." Iris dismissed her teammate's indignation.

"I am sorry. I will make more treats for you tomorrow." The naive ice ninja apologized again.

Better luck next time...

* * *

Today was yet another day at Ninjago High for the Secret Ninja Force. For Nya, she was stuck in home economics class. She didn't hate cooking but if the teachers really want to teach their students how to live on their own, they should also teach them the really important stuff such as maintaining financial stability and actually managing the home besides cooking and sewing.

"Today, we will learn how to make curry." The home ec teacher, Mrs. Jacobson, gave her students the basic run-down on today's lesson.

While gathering the ingredients, Nya narrowed her eyes at the group across from hers.

Along with PE, Kai and Nya also shared the same home ec class and yes, even their sibling rivalry still runs rampant here. The fire ninja returned her glare and already began planning to beat her.

"Listen up guys, we're gonna make this the hottest curry ever!" Kai rallied his group once they got all the ingredients and equipment set up.

"Why did you say guys!? I'm a girl!" Olivia, the only girl in the fiery teen's group (and owned a Jumblr account) didn't take to his choice of words lightly.

"You get the point," The red ninja brushed her off, "We have to pull out all the stops and that's gonna include doing things a bit differently!"

"But isn't cooking supposed to be done by the book?" Zach, another teammate, inquired.

Kai stared at the lanky guy with sheer annoyance. The best part of cooking was adding your personal creative touch to the recipe. The fire ninja dismissed his classmate and started to get the ingredients ready. He chopped the vegetables with all his might, all while glaring at his sister across the room. The feeling was mutual and the kunoichi of water was determined to prove herself as the better cook.

Nya was tasked with cutting the vegetables but no matter how trivial the deed is, she's gonna do the best damn job she can. Each and every slice of onion had to be neatly cut and in the same size. There's nothing that can stop her, not even the stinging sensation or tears welling up in her eyes.

"Nya, take it easy! Your eyes are getting all red and teary!" Her cooking partner Kelly saw the confident girl's light blue eyes become bloodshot and tears were rolling down her cheeks. Nya herself looked like she was struggling to even keep her eyes open.

"I'm fine," Nya winced but kept cutting the onions, "My eyes just sting a little. That's all."

Kai's cooking partners stirred at a slow pace while bringing the curry roux to a slow simmer but that's no good as far as Kai's concerned.

"Stir it faster!" The hothead was now acting like a drill sergeant, "Turn up the heat!"

"But the curry will burn!"

"I said we're making the hottest curry ever and we're gonna do it!"

Kai still kept pressing his cooking partners to prepare the curry with more aggression. They would've objected but knowing the fiery young man, saying no to him will result in more than a few hazards for those foolish enough to do so.

"There's smoke coming out of the curry!"

"Make it hotter!"

Meanwhile, Nya's group wasn't faring much better. The tenacious girl also bossed her partners around and demanded nothing less than perfection.

"That carrot slice is crooked! There's splashes on the stove! Do it all over again!" The perfectionist Nya nagged her teammates.

Now all the other students stood back and watched the siblings' cooking duel. The whole kitchen was getting fired up by their competitiveness it was almost like an anime with ingredients being chopped up in lightning fast cutting skills in midair and towers of flame bursting from the stoves. But only one will prove to be the better cook and that will be...

"Fail." Mrs. Jacobson sternly gave the verdict to the crestfallen Hinata siblings. Kai's curry was almost entirely burnt while the plating for Nya's curry was sloppy and the meat was undercooked.

"Uh… who won…?" Nya still asked.

"You're both equally awful!"

* * *

Iris didn't mind using up the time she had to herself before training to clean up the apartment. Since her uncle was gone for most of the time before dinner, she was often the one doing the housework. It was only fair that she helps out with the chores in return for living with him. The pink kunoichi finally finished up cleaning the living room when she heard the lock being undone at the front door.

"Uncle! You're back!" Iris greeted her relative the moment the door opened.

"Sorry I've been out for so long," Karloff said, "With all the destruction going on every time the Shark Army and the Secret Ninja Force face each other, we have to work harder than ever."

"I… understand." His niece mentally winced, knowing she was part of the Secret Ninja Force who was making her uncle's job more time-consuming than usual.

"I also got you a little something to make up for being so late." The burly man handed her a plastic bag that inarguably contained something sweet inside.

Having a bit of a sweet tooth, Iris immediately dug out the package and quickly regretted it. The thing Karloff got for her was some peach candies with her own face plastered in front of the package. It was even called 'Secret Ninja Force Candy: The Pink Kunoichi's Peach-Flavored'. It took everything in her to not cringe.

"I tried to get the green apple-flavored one with the green ninja but the stores were all out -"

"I-it's fine…! Really!" Iris was rather quick to get her uncle to pipe down. Even if they were turned into cheap cash grabs, they're still called the _Secret_ Ninja Force for good reason.

* * *

Even in the latest hours of the night, a certain someone still had trouble sleeping.

Garmadon continued to suffer from insomnia which he blamed on the Shark Army's frequent failures as well as the Secret Ninja Force's rise in competence.

'Shit. Looks like the ninja aren't gonna go down so easily,' The dark lord rambled to himself, 'If they're not gonna go down so easily, then I'll have to do something about it myself.'

Garmadon stood at the top of the volcano lair, watching the bright skyline of Ninjago City. The Secret Ninja Force weren't making his quest to take over the city any easier and he was getting frustrated. He might have to resort to drastic measures if he wants to rid himself of those pajama-wearing upstarts for good.

"Just you wait, you pesky ninja. One day, I will conquer Ninjago City and I _will_ find you." The dark lord vowed, complete with a menacing shadow over his face and his red eyes glowing amidst the darkness.

…

"...No you won't!" A voice similar to the red ninja shouted somewhere in the distance.

"Yes I will!" The dark lord argued back.

"Won't!"

* * *

 **That's all for now. Sorry for the late update but I'm still working hard on the special anniversary chapter & I also want to get my Kai & Nya Ordinary Life AU story published soon so please have patience & have a good night.**


	72. Just the Two of Us

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Tonight's chapter will focus on each ninja & kunoichi pair's relationships so it's not much but there's still the special chapter coming up so please bear with me & enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 71: Just the Two of Us

"That's enough for now." Brad put training for the Steadfast Tin Soldier musical to a halt since the time they had after school was already up. Luna was particularly relieved after having to dance with Griffin. That asshole kept putting his hands dangerously close to… certain parts and if she had known better, that's what he was intending to do. She would've told Brad but he only cared about talent. As long as they can sing and dance well, personality and manners don't matter.

Luna was in the middle of packing up her stuff when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. The mousy girl let out a loud yelp and jumped from the sudden grasp.

"Calm down. It's just me." A familiar voice attempted to placate her.

"I-it's you..." The purple kunoichi whipped around and found herself face-to-face with Cole himself.

"You wouldn't mind hanging out in the city for a while, no?" The black ninja invited her on one of his lengthy outings in Ninjago City.

Luna remembered the first time Cole offered her the opportunity to spend time with him and how fast her heart raced that day. Really, her heart was also racing today but for a different reason. The purple kunoichi couldn't bring herself to have that same excitement she had the first time Cole invited her to one of his outings. Ever since he said those things about the idol industry, she couldn't look at him the same. She even started to doubt he's really the person he seemed to be.

"Are you coming or not?" The black ninja's had patience but it wasn't limitless.

"S-sure…!" Luna answered without even thinking. Only after she and Cole left the school did the timid girl realize what she just got herself into.

'...Scheiße...'

* * *

The pair stopped by one of the local patisseries to indulge on some cake. While Cole polished off two slices of cake and went for a third piece, Luna was still using her fork to play around with her first slice of berry cake.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Cole tried getting Luna to do anything besides sitting there and sighing.

"I'm… not that hungry..." The kunoichi of sound… well… sighed.

"So you're not gonna eat that cake?" The earth ninja eyed her treat.

"Go ahead." Luna slid the plate towards him and he didn't hesitate to dig in.

Cole observed his fellow music-loving teen's quirks throughout their trip in the city. She wasn't exactly the talkative type, even after spending plenty of time with the ninja. Sure, he wasn't easy on small talk either but sometimes, you gotta speak up every now and then. Luna also looked like she had a bunch of different thoughts going through in her head. He considered it understandable since she's now one of the ninja who have to save the city whenever Garmadon's forces attack.

Luckily, he knew one way to start a conversation.

"I always thought about leaving Ninjago City one day." Cole said completely out of the blue.

"Wait, what?" Luna was brought out of her stupor by her teammate's words.

"Despite what everyone says, I do like other other stuff besides music and food. I thought about being a rock climber."

"Why a rock climber?"

"When I was little, I was one of those kids that were always climbing on everything. My dad would yell at me whenever I tried to climb the trees. I feel that it's no coincidence that Master Wu named me the earth ninja. The natural world has its own beauty and I like being outside a lot..."

"Why?"

"I… just do." Cole shrugged. He never liked thinking too much into his home life.

"Oh..."

The black ninja felt a bit annoyed that Luna still didn't talk much. If she's going to be a member of the Secret Ninja Force, then she'll have to learn to assert herself. Even if Master Wu's the one to guide the ninja and Lloyd is the leader among the group proper, Cole still sought to look out for his teammates and Luna was no exception. He always helped her out whenever she needed help as well as the rest of the music club members but the timid girl seemed to be more inclined to go to him than anyone else. He wondered what she saw in him. Even if he was a ninja, which he wasn't alone on, he wasn't really all that special and there are certainly many more people who strive to help those in need like Zane or even the hot-blooded Kai.

"Luna." He spoke all of a sudden.

"H-huh…?" The kunoichi of sound was briefly caught off guard.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?"

"...I..." Luna did have a bunch of things she wanted to say. The thing is, she couldn't bring herself to say them out loud.

What was she supposed to tell him?

That she's having trouble feeling the same way she did for him before?

'But how would he know that? You never talked about your feelings to him.' The purple kunoichi's own mind called her out.

Cole was starting to get annoyed by Luna's utter lack of mettle and was about to leave...

"Wait!"

The black ninja raised a bushy brow at Luna's sudden outburst. Perhaps she does have a backbone.

"What is it?" Cole sat back down to hear what she had to say.

"I did some thinking after you said that thing..."

"What thing?"

"You said you didn't like what the idol industry does."

"Yeah. What about it?"

"What if there's a lot of people who still want to become an idol? Would you think they're idiots?"

"I'm not gonna force my beliefs down anybody's throats. This is a free city. Who am I to dictate what other people want?"

"But you said you don't like what the industry does."

"I'm more disgusted with the industry itself than the people who want to pursue a career in singing. I still like music but the industry does have a lot of issues. Like I said before, some artists take advantage of their fame or are only in it for personal gains and are generally a bunch of assholes. Remember that little shit, Justin Beaver?"

"Oh yeah..." Even the timid Luna had no fondness for that guy. He was extremely obnoxious and with that godawful voice, him being a successful idol was nothing short of a miracle. He almost dissuaded her from pursuing a career in music which is saying a lot.

"But if being an idol is what you want, then I'm not gonna stop you." Cole continued.

"But what about -"

"But what?" The black ninja interrogated her, "I already said I don't have anything against you wanting to be an idol so what's stopping you?"

"It's not just that..."

"What else is there?"

Luna became tongue-tied yet again. She still can't bring herself to tell Cole how she felt and despite his claims that he won't think any less of her for her career choices, it didn't comfort her at all.

"I feel like the world is changing..." Luna just managed to get out.

"Of course," Cole shrugged, "None of us would've thought a bunch of ninja will pop up and defend the city from Garmadon. Even people change. I certainly didn't expect to become the ninja of earth."

The purple kunoichi was still plagued by her perceptions being thrown out the window. Her head was starting to spin from all the emotional turmoil.

"It's getting late. We should go home before our parents suspect anything." Luna abruptly got up.

"I guess you're right." The earth ninja followed suit, "I'll see you later."

Cole was forced to part ways with Luna and head back to the mansion. He began hearing words from old memories echo in his mind as he got closer to his home.

'You're doing it wrong!'

'Why can't you do something so simple!?'

'You'll never amount to anything if all you're gonna do is listen to that so-called 'music' of yours!'

Cole turned up the volume on his ever-present radio until the harsh words were finally drowned out. He didn't even bother to lower the volume when he went inside and had to endure his snobby dad's complaints and hearing those words again in real life before finding sanctuary in his bedroom. Luna's words came back to haunt him once he flopped down on his massive bed.

His world was certainly changing.

He felt a greater urge to escape from this cage and live his own life however he liked it away from the city yet was held back not by his father but by his duty as a ninja. He can never abandon Ninjago City as long as he knew there were people who need him and he could never abandon his friends.

'This thing just isn't loud enough...' Cole glanced at his radio and cranked up the volume yet again, not giving a damn about his father's opinions.

Even after all the things that he's been through, he still can't find the answer to a certain question. It was also the reason why he agreed to become a ninja in the first place.

'Who am I…?'

* * *

Heather spent much of her afternoons working at Blossoming Memories, surprise surprise.

"Welcome to Blossoming Memories." Heather greeted whoever came in the moment the bells above the door rang almost out of compulsion.

"There is no need to be formal. I have been here a few times so I am quite familiar with this particular location." A certain voice replied and there's no mistaking who its owner was with that inorganic echo.

"Zane? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working at the Petite Corner?"

"There were very few patrons today," The nindroid answered, "My boss theorized that many people in the work force have been delayed because of the damage done to the city during each battle between the forces of Garmadon and the ninja. However, my time away from the cafe is only temporary."

"I guess you can stay here for a while."

Zane observed Heather tend to each and every flower with such tender care almost like they were all just like people. Then again, all plants are also living organisms. He wondered if she saw him the same. She was one of the first people outside his initial group of friends to give him a chance and it was with her that he started to feel… something. He can't tell what it was but whatever it is, he felt it whenever he was near the kunoichi of nature.

Heather sometimes caught the android watching her from the corner of her dark blue eyes. The white ninja did look a little odd and if not, downright creepy whenever he stood still but she knows the true Zane well enough to know he's anything but a creep. Yeah, he's a bit naive in certain areas but he was far from stupid. Some of their missions would've ended in failure if not for his quick wit and skills with his bow and arrows.

But that still doesn't explain why the nindroid would ever want to come here.

"I wonder why you would come here of all places." Heather suddenly spoke aloud.

"What other places are there for me to visit?" Zane responded.

"There's the mall or the other shops that might sell different things that would be more useful to you than a bunch of flowers."

"It is true flowers hold little significance for my purpose, but my purpose is not all that I am… At least that is what my father tells me..."

"Zane, have you ever tried thinking for yourself?"

"Think… for myself…?"

"I don't know how to explain it. You gotta really believe some things not because of what your father tells you but because you truly believe them and you're not gonna other people's opinions affect you. It sounds weird but that's all I got." The teal kunoichi explained while stacking some gardening tools.

Zane wondered what it meant for him to think for himself. Though Heather did her best to explain it to him, he felt it would be best to seek out his father or even Master Wu's advice on how to do that.

"Dammit..." Heather cursed under her breath when some cards got caught in the small rush of air and scattered on the floor. She crouched down to pick them up and was surprised when she saw a pair of unnaturally pale hands join in to gather them.

"Zane, you don't have to do this."

"I was programmed to help others who cannot help themselves."

"It's no big deal, Zane. I've been training as a ninja for a long time already. I can take care of myself."

"I am also aware of that."

"Then why are you helping me?"

"It is something I find myself wanting to do, regardless of your abilities in self-proficiency."

"Zane… are you actually thinking for yourself…?"

The ice ninja couldn't think of a proper way to react to Heather's words. He can't even decipher why he attempted to help her in the first place. It was only a minor inconvenience but he was compelled to assist the teal kunoichi in doing her own job and her being a member of the Secret Ninja Force didn't matter to him. All he knew at that moment was that he wanted to help Heather and be close to her.

'Warning: One minute left before service is required.' The words flashed before Zane's sight when the alarm installed within his programming reached the one minute mark before the end of his break. He was slightly thankful because he couldn't formulate an answer to Heather's question.

"I apologize but I must leave right now." The ice ninja retreated towards the door of the flower shop.

"I understand… See you later." Heather felt a tad lonesome without his company but she'll see the ice ninja later today so why should it matter?

And the worst part is that this isn't the first time she felt this way for the nindroid...

* * *

Kai and Nya liked to spend their weekends exploring the city and today was certainly no exception.

"I wanna go see if they got any new gadgets at the Octan Auto Shop." Nya tried dragging Kai towards wherever she wanted to go.

"But I gotta stock up on some hair gel first!" The fire ninja would rather get some products to maintain his meticulously styled trademark spiky hairdo.

Loud gurgling sounds caught the siblings off guard until they found the source of it.

Both of their stomachs.

"Maybe we should go grab a bite to eat first." Kai suggested.

"Fine." His food-deprived sister agreed.

Meanwhile, another teen slash ninja wasn't too far away.

Aria spent her weekend doing one of the things she always liked: shopping. She used to be aggravated by the constant training she went through as a ninja on a daily basis but now, she was learning to be a little more grateful. Her increasing stamina allowed her to carry more shopping bags than she used to without feeling too weighed down by them. Too bad hunger was a different matter entirely.

Before the olive-skinned girl could decided where to eat, she saw a certain duo not too far away.

"Nya! Kai!" The orange kunoichi hollered at them.

The Hinata siblings turned to face her as she approached them. Kai flinched a bit, hoping the impulsive girl won't drag him into one of her extremely lengthy shopping sprees.

"Stop frowning Kai. It's not like you never spent more than three hours shopping." Nya called him out before he could say anything.

"Hey! At least I spend my time and money on the really important stuff!"

"Oh yeah. Like trying to find the right-smelling hair products is really important."

By that point, Aria was right next to the siblings, standing eerily close to them while they were talking.

"Uh… how long have you been standing there?" Kai raised an eyebrow at her… mannerisms.

"Since I got here." The kunoichi of wind answered.

"So what brings you here?" The silver kunoichi asked.

"The usual," Aria briefly raised her shopping bags as a hint and the Hinata siblings got it right away, "I should be asking you the same."

"We're just killing time," Nya replied nonchalantly, "Right now, we're thinking about where to eat."

"Mind if I join you? I'm also getting a little hungry."

"Might as well. It's more convenient that way."

The trio decided to eat at the Danny's restaurant not far from the Ninjago City Park. Kai and Nya found out the hard way that Aria's one of those people who take forever deciding what to order. They had to tell the servers to wait another minute at least four times before the capricious girl _finally_ decided on what she'll have…

"Are you ready?" The server asked for the umpteenth time, not even trying to hide the exasperation in her voice.

"Yeah. I'll have the…" Aria trailed off for a moment, which was not a good sign, "...No wait! I think this one will be a better choice..."

"Just pick already!" The perpetually impatient Kai finally exploded though for once, Nya didn't blame him. She was starving and all she could think about was that she needed food _now_.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh!" The kunoichi of wind brushed off her teammate's outburst, "I'll have the pasta carbonara with a side salad."

The Hinata siblings swiftly made their orders and the server didn't hide her relief when she took away the menus and left.

"I bet your family doesn't eat out often." Kai muttered.

"That's because my mom's a great cook." Aria responded, unaware of the point the hot-blooded ninja was really trying to make.

"Really? What kind of recipes does she make?" Nya asked.

"She makes a lot of good stuff like butter chicken curry and mushroom bolognese pasta. I always liked to help her out when I was little so I can see what kind of unique things she'd make for dinner."

"And what about sweet things?"

"Oh yeah! She makes the best desserts! She can make the best strawberry cheesecake in Ninjago City as well as chocolate waffles and pudding with lots of fruits!"

Nya pouted now that she's all but forgotten by Kai and Aria, who were completely engrossed in their little conversation. As nice as it was seeing her hotheaded brother and impulsive friend being able to talk to each other without trying to bite each other's heads off, she hated being left in the dust. When she opened her mouth to finally speak, she was interrupted but not by them.

"Here are your orders." The server returned with their meals, putting the pair's conversation to a halt, albeit for about a minute.

No sooner had the server left, Kai and Aria were at it again, talking about every topic imaginable from shows they watch to even the things they witness in their daily lives. Not only was Nya forgotten but they also seemed to have overlooked the food as they only took a few bites within fifteen minutes.

Nya can't help but feel this won't be the first time something like will happen between them...

* * *

As always, Lloyd ate lunch at the school rooftop and this time, Iris accompanied him.

It also wasn't really a lunch the ninja pair were eating. They shared the various candies and treats they managed to sneak into Ninjago High to indulge their love for sugary things.

"You can have these if you want." The pink kunoichi offered the rest of the peach candies promoted as 'her' peach candies.

"Thanks, I guess..." The green ninja raised an eyebrow at the packaging that had his teammate's face on it. If he knew any better, she's just trying to get rid of the awkwardness of having to eat something promoted by her own persona.

It's not like he ever felt that way -oh wait.

Once the green ninja grabbed all the candy he wanted, he gave the bag back to the pink kunoichi.

"I thought you hated hogging all the spotlight." Iris pointed out.

"Of course I do," Lloyd answered like it's the most matter-of-fact thing ever, "I just didn't want all the candies inside."

"Sure..." The kunoichi of metal didn't believe him but didn't press him any further.

"By the way, how's the mech construction going?" Iris changed the topic so he wouldn't get all pissy.

"Still working on them," Lloyd answered coolly, "I guess having Jay, Nya, and Zane around isn't such a bad thing."

"They're good friends to have but what about the others?"

"I've known Kai since I was little and he always protected me from the bullies and Cole knows what it's like to have a dad you hate."

"And what about the girls?"

"I already mentioned Nya."

"I meant the rest of the kunoichi."

"I still don't know them as much but they seem okay."

"Then you don't know anything about me, huh?"

"What else is there to know about you besides your ridiculous sense of fashion?"

Iris felt a vein pop. It seems like Lloyd still didn't learn his lesson from their argument.

"At least I don't let what others think get to me." She boasted.

'Great. I'm stuck with those 'I'm not like other girls' girls...' Lloyd pinched the bridge of his nose. This is gonna be a long-ass day.

* * *

Jay added some finishing touches to his Lightning Jet while the other ninja did whatever they liked to do during their breaks.

'Just a little more...' The blue ninja welded the last bit of blue plating on the wing and he was done. He stood back to take in the sight of his newly finished mech.

The Lightning Mech was possibly his greatest work yet. If anyone saw it, they would never guess that it was designed and built by a mere teenager. The blue aircraft had several lightning rods along its wings and the round cockpit was encased by a bubble-like dome, making it truly a one-of-a-kind invention. As nervous as he was over all the things that could go horribly wrong with the still new mech, he still felt a vague sense of anticipation which was all part of being an inventor.

Jay turned his eyes towards a certain someone also working on the ninja's mechanical arsenal.

Nya was helping Lloyd build what will be Iris' mech. The already timid ninja already knew better than to interrupt the kunoichi of water while she's hard at work and even if she wasn't he wouldn't be able to do so much as say 'hi' to her.

"Jay, is there something you need?" The silver kunoichi finally noticed her shy comrade.

"N-not at all!" Jay chortled nervously, "I was wondering if _you_ need help!"

'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' The blue ninja mentally kicked himself. Nya's a capable and independent girl. She wouldn't need help in anything and he also implied she was weak. Now there's no way -

"You could help us build the mech." The confident girl offered.

"R-really?" Jay's voice cracked in such an undignified way. Nya chuckled and he would've taken it as a sign of ridicule if she hadn't answered.

"Of course!" She replied. Jay was more cute than handsome but she doesn't care what the people she hang out with look like and the little guy's fretfulness somehow added to his charm. She liked having a person with similar interests around.

But if only she knew what's really going on in Jay's head…

* * *

 **Again, not all of these relationships will be romantic. Also, please review.**


	73. Family Reunion

**Discovering Destiny**

 **I can't believe it. This story is now officially 1 year old but as you can tell, it's still far from over.**

 **As promised, this will be a very special chapter to match such a milestone but you're gonna have to keep reading to find out so… enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 72: Family Reunion

Lloyd woke up with a strange sense of dread this morning. He laid still on his bed, his bright green orbs staring at nothing but the ceiling above him. His breathing and his pulse were normal and not a single drop of sweat clung to his skin yet he felt like his life was on the line or at least something really huge will happen to him today. He wasn't really a superstitious type but he can't shake off this eerie feeling no matter what kind of topic he tried distracting his mind with.

"Lloyd?" A soft tapping at his door indicated his mother was concerned, "Are you awake?"

"Yeah." The young ninja swung his legs off his bed and opened his mouth wide in a loud yawn.

After brushing his teeth and changing his clothes, Lloyd emerged and Koko was shocked by her child's haggard appearance.

"My goodness! It's still morning yet you already look terrible!" His mother inspected him. His usually bright green eyes were dull with his sclera almost entirely red and the skin right below his eyes were darkened like he hadn't slept in days. His hair was also a mess and it wasn't like the kind that occurs if he didn't bother to brush his hair. It somehow looked more like his very spirit was beaten up.

Lloyd only stared at his mother with the glum expression that his face was now perpetually stuck with. Koko realized what she just said to her own son, who had only her to look up to.

"Lloyd, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that."

"It's fine, Mom. Really." The young outcast dismissed his parent's concerns.

Lloyd took a quick glance at the mirror and even he had to admit he looked like a train wreck. There's not much he could do about it and even if there was, it wouldn't make a difference for his crappy life. He might as well suck it up and wait until the next mission so he can take out his frustrations.

* * *

Lloyd still looked like a complete wreck when he arrived at Ninjago High. Even Kai knew he was not in the mood for small talk and kept his distance. Still, the ninja watched out for him in case any moronic bully tries to pester him. The Hinata siblings kept walking in front of him akin to bodyguards. As much as he appreciated the friendship he shared with them, the green ninja sometimes felt annoyed by how they seemed to perceive him as a helpless little puppy who can't do a single thing on his own without getting hurt.

"Kai, Nya. I can take care of myself." He tried to convince them to back out.

Nya complied but kept a wary look on her face but the thickheaded Kai wasn't never easy to convince.

"I'm still not gonna let these guys get away with treating you like crap!" The fire ninja's response didn't surprise his friends at all.

"Kai, if you do not want Lloyd to suffer any grievances, you will have to abide by his request." Zane told the fire ninja in a gentle yet stern tone.

Kai's breath grew tense with even more agitation. He _hated_ having to stand back and let those he care about get tormented but not as much as knowing that the nindroid was right. The green ninja already had more than his fair share of conflicts and he didn't want to _cause_ more stress for him. In the end, he backed off solely for his friend's sake.

The ninja still observed Lloyd going about his day. Other than his bedraggled looks, nothing appeared unusual to them but they knew better than to judge a book by its cover. They must get to the bottom of this dilemma but the first thing they'll have to do is be there for Lloyd and to not press him until he believes the time is right to tell them what's wrong...

Even out at the rooftop during lunch, Lloyd couldn't bring himself to eat a single bite. He only stared at either the questionable 'foods' from the cafeteria to the skyline of Ninjago City. Somewhere out there, Garmadon and his goons were planning their next move, which was nothing new to him, the ninja, or pretty much everyone in the city.

'But why do I still feel like something terrible is gonna happen…?'

Today was a clear day, meaning if he looked carefully, he could even see the massive artificial volcano where the dark lord resided, which was exactly why he didn't. He wasn't sure if that nasty warmonger has anything to do with this feeling of dread. The green ninja's life was more often than not filled with terrible things and so far, today was no different than any other day in his shitty life.

* * *

Even during training, Lloyd still felt anxious. The other ninja noticed his strange mood all day but they didn't want to say anything to provoke him, at least until now.

"What's up with you?" Cole finally said something about it to his face, "You look like you just foresaw your own death. You've been like that since this morning."

"How should I know?" The green-eyed teen retorted, "I've been waiting for the sweet release of death since I could remember."

"But you were never like this." Jay added.

"Lloyd, tell us what's wrong so we can help you." Nya placed a reassuring hand on Lloyd's shoulder but he shrunk back from her touch.

"You wouldn't understand..." He kept dismissing his teammates but they weren't having it.

"But Master Wu might," Heather suggested, "Why not go to him?"

"How would he know what I'm feeling?"

"I have been through many things. I know what's going on in my nephew's head." The elderly voice of the ninja's mentor caught everyone else off guard for a second.

"Do you even know how I feel?" Lloyd asked once he overcame his brief astonishment.

"That feeling when something terrible is going to happen… I have lived long enough to experience it… many times… even to this very day..."

"So you're also thinking something bad will happen?"

Master Wu's only answer was a solemn nod.

"You can still choose how to deal with these emotions," The old man spoke again, "You could run away from it all or face them head on. There are still a lot of other options such as not paying any attention to them, not letting them get in the way of your duties, or simply just talk about them. There are a lot of options. The choice is yours."

The green ninja wasn't sure if he should be reassured or creeped out by the way his relative described the various ways he could be dealing with his mental issues. He sensed that was all his uncle intended to say to him so it can't be helped. Now all he needs to do is figure out how to deal with these strange emotions he's been feeling all day.

"Uh… guys…?" Luna pointed at the TV, alerting them of the events going on at Ninjago City.

NTV reporters can only describe what could only be a mech built by the Shark Army invading the city. The Secret Ninja Force already knew what this means for them.

"Come on. Let's just get this over with." Lloyd put on his mask, readying himself for today's mission.

"Maybe you should sit this one out. All the stress can't be good for you." Aria said.

"What I go through as the green ninja is nothing compared to the life of Lloyd Garmadon." The young ninja leader quickly hopped onto his seat atop the Mech Dragon's back and activated it.

"Lloyd, you don't have to do this!" Heather still pleaded for the green ninja to back out but he wasn't having it. The Mech Dragon rose to its feet and started to hover off the ground.

"Looks like there's no convincing him," Cole shrugged, "We might as well support his choice."

"How could you say something like that!?" Luna stared at the earth ninja with a flabbergasted face.

"Friends are supposed to support one another, shouldn't they?" The buff ninja replied nonchalantly.

"But Lloyd's choice is a bad one!" Nya blurted out right in front of the green ninja but paid no heed to his annoyed expression, "We should also talk him out of it!"

"I can hear you." The ninja leader muttered.

"We're wasting time. We still have to save the city… again." Iris joined the black ninja and climbed on the Mech Dragon.

"Let's go! It's not like Ninjago City can save itself!" Kai was already in the now activated Fire Mech.

Nya groaned in defeat but complied, climbing into her Water Mech and joined the others...

* * *

Once again, the forces of Lord Garmadon were on the move. This time, they had a big humanoid mech that could dwarf the Fire Mech. The mechanical monstrosity was as tall as some of the buildings in the center of Ninjago City.

"Come and face me, ninja!" Whoever was piloting the mech had their voice distorted to sound much more guttural and threatening to suit the gigantic robot's foreboding appearance.

"We're doomed!" The townsfolk ran about in a state of panic but it may not be for long.

The ninja answered the citizens' cries for help and made another grand entrance on their mechs. That in itself was fine and all but there could've been a big difference...

"You know you could've brought your mech." The orange kunoichi remarked at the blue ninja as they rode on the Mech Dragon behind the green ninja.

"I don't wanna take it out on a mission without doing a test run first." The fidgety ninja answered.

"I understand your precaution," The white ninja was quick to take his side, "Chances of the Lightning Mech malfunctioning without being tested first was at sixty-nine percent."

"Uh… thanks..." His teammate was unsure if he should take that as a good or bad thing.

Once the Fire Mech and Water Strider caught up, the ninja and kunoichi prepared themselves for yet another conflict with the Shark Army and made it clear they were in no mood for idol chit-chat.

"Come on out and show yourselves!" The red ninja's voice echoed from within the Fire Mech.

Much to the ninja and townspeople's surprise, the mech seemingly complied. It took a couple of steps backwards and then it stood motionless before the ninja. Loud thumping noises echoed from within, almost like the footsteps of a large creature. The Secret Ninja Force felt anxiety welling up in them but they refused to back down.

"This will be your final warning," The garbled voice within the mech spoke again, "Yield. Surrender the city to me and I will end this trivial game or face the consequences of your actions."

"No way! We'll _never_ let that four-armed freak of nature get what he wants!" The green ninja shouted. The ninja were startled by their teammate's reaction. He never spoke with so much agitation and rage in his voice. They knew from the start that it was a bad idea for him to go on this mission. All thoughts were interrupted by the thumping from inside the mech grew louder and then became silent. Steam blew from the mech's torso and something moved...

The entrance to the cockpit concealed in the center of the machine's chest opened and several figures emerged from the shadows but one in particular stood out. Once their face was hit with the sunlight, everyone and everything became completely still and silent. It was as if time itself had also stopped to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event.

To say the ninja were shocked would be the understatement of the century.

They knew this day would come but they never fathomed the thought that it would happen today. The green ninja in particular was hoping this was all some sort of messed-up dream of midday fantasy. He even pinched himself but he was still here standing atop his Mech Dragon in the middle of the city.

He can't deny that this is reality and he was seeing _him_ in person for the first time since he was but a tiny infant. What he saw burned itself into his brain and ingrained itself into his memories. There's no way he'll ever forget it. And he can't forget the true connection he had with the spectacle before him, as much as he wanted otherwise.

'...Dad…!'

The Secret Ninja Force were face-to-face with Lord Garmadon himself for the very first time.

They already knew what he looked like at heart from the occasions he hacked the TV networks of the city yet nothing compares to actually seeing him in real life. All of the warlord's exposed skin was pitch black and drowned out any light that touched it and he was taller than most men thanks to the extra ribs and shoulder blades to support his extra pair of arms. All the fingers on all of the dark lord's four hands were tipped with what appeared to be claws. The ninja were sure he just filed his fingernails to look sharper than they were but the dark lord did a rather convincing job. His expression was stuck in a deep scowl and that alone made the ninja _feel_ the contempt he held towards them for thwarting his schemes time and again. Thick grey eyebrows were furrowed in anger and his frown exposed some of his teeth which were all sharp. His dark face was marred with several wrinkles either by age or stress from his plans constantly crashing down.

But worst of all were his eyes.

Those blood red eyes glowed against his dark flesh like a pair of red stars amidst the night sky during the new moon with no other stars in sight. The dark lord didn't take his eyes off the ninja for even just one second, which unnerved them more than everything they have seen so far. They couldn't help but

"I've been waiting for us to finally meet..." Garmadon glowered at the young group of vigilantes that stood between him and his goals.

The ninja were still silenced by the immense shock and couldn't do anything as he inspected them but none of them were as shocked as the green ninja.

Now Lloyd knew why he was feeling so tense all day. There were so many things he thought of doing at that moment.

Scream, cry, run, or even curl up in a ball and shrink until he disappears. All of them were tempting for the green ninja yet he was at a complete standstill. He lost control not from his tumult of feelings and emotions but because he wouldn't _need_ to be controlled. Lloyd was utterly shell-shocked and couldn't bring himself to even move the slightest bit or say the tiniest peep.

"Are you gonna say something?" The red ninja finally broke the silence which may not be a good thing.

'Kai, you idiot!' Nya mentally scolded her brother for potentially digging the ninja's graves.

"Yes. Yes I do." Garmadon still inspected each and every member of the Secret Ninja Force.

All the ninja waited with apprehension while the dark lord continued examining them.

Garmadon slowly turned his head to get a good look at each of the ninja. Their faces were concealed save for their eyes but with them alone, he can tell they were still young as they still had that spark in their eyes that have long since faded from his own as well as his parents' son yet each of them had a unique quality in them.

The ninja in white easily stood out with his glowing eyes that were impossible for any person besides him to possess, which helped spark rumors that he's not human. The ninja clad in blue had matching eyes as well as some freckles. The dark lord would've known he was extremely nervous just by looking at his eyes, even if he wasn't shaking like a leaf. Next to the little guy was the muscular ninja wearing a sleeveless black gi. His eyes were the least tense of all the ninja but those earthy green eyes couldn't betray the onslaught of uneasy emotions he really felt.

Of course Garmadon didn't forget the girls, or kunoichi, either. The kunoichi clad in purple was just as nervous as the blue ninja, pointing her hazel eyes at anywhere and anything but him. The girls wearing teal and orange both looked at him with dread in their eyes. The latter carried a tiny hint of curiosity while the former seemed to also be thinking of a bunch of other stuff but remained primarily focused on him. Last of the kunoichi was the one in pink with deep violet eyes which she never took away from him. She was trying so hard not to show fear or anything resembling it but that it ended up doing the opposite of what she intended.

It was so cute how much effort she was putting into her little game of pretend.

Several noises briefly distracted Garmadon and he turned to the source: the other two ninja mechs as well as their pilots who have emerged to get a good look at him.

Even they had something interesting for him to examine.

The fire ninja and silver kunoichi also got out of the cockpits of their mechs as if to ensure what they were witnessing was real and not a dream or fantasy. Their eyes were different from the colors to even their shapes but both of them had the exact same determined air to them. Perhaps that's why some speculate that these two are related.

Even among such a motley bunch, only one pair of eyes stood out the most to the dark lord.

The green ninja.

There was something about that one ninja that made him feel many sensations. He was uneasy but at the same time, he also felt a strange sense of familiarity. It's almost like he looked at those same green eyes before. The dark lord was quick to dismiss it, however. There's a lot of people in Ninjago City who possess green eyes, even some of his minions. Yet none of them have the same vibrancy as the green ninja's. Those emerald orbs were so bright even the dark lord felt a strange invigoration just by looking at them. It was almost akin to sunlight nourishing and revitalizing plants, filling them with life.

He saw a pair of eyes just like that before.

They looked just like those possessed by the one child he had.

'No… It can't be…!' Garmadon quickly brushed off the possibility.

After saying those things to him when she left, there's no way the only woman he ever loved will ever let her child meet him, much less become a vigilante well-known across the city. He remembered her well enough to know she would never let such a thing come to pass. At least that's what he believed.

Then again, people can change and _she_ was the perfect example for that.

Meanwhile, Lloyd was going through so many thoughts, emotions, and feelings all at once ever since the dark lord revealed himself. Of course he felt resentment towards the nefarious warlord for never even trying to be there for him or even show up in his life until now and even then, he had absolutely no idea it was him. However, that wasn't all he felt. Of course he felt fear since this was the very first he met Garmadon face-to-face and he could be thinking of some horrific ways to torture him and the other ninja. He also felt something he knew he _shouldn't_ be feeling but it was there, deep within the core of his being.

It was… relief…?

It was akin to that kind of comfort one gets when they pass a particularly difficult exam.

'W-what am I thinking…!?' Lloyd was surprised by his own feelings. He had more right than everyone else to hate the dark lord. He was only more confused by the fact that unbridled rage wasn't the only thing he felt upon seeing his… the dark lord… for the first time...

"You said you were going to say something!" The pink kunoichi interrupted Garmadon's thoughts. The dark lord's only response was to turn his head slowly to look at her with a venomous expression. She flinched and her eyes didn't disguise any of her fears but she still kept her violet eyes on him. She kept playing her childish make-believe game and it was almost too cute.

"I am talking right now, no?" Garmadon's said rather condescendingly at the pink-clad girl. That shut her up in an instant.

"It is quite an honor to finally see you in person," The four-armed man continued examining the ninja, "To think that a bunch of people as young as you would be the ones who will have the nerve to stand between me and Ninjago City."

The ninja were still too petrified to say anything or even budge but Garmadon still continued.

"You were probably assuming I was all talk and making the Shark Army do all the work," The dark lord continued rambling on, "Well your luck has ran out. This is where I'll crush your preconceived notions. My minions may have been too easy on you but I won't be so lenient."

"What should we do?" The blue ninja whispered to Lloyd, who was eerily silent the whole time. Even now, he still didn't say a word. That is until he finally got up to do something.

The green ninja sat down on the cockpit atop the Mech Dragon and commanded it to fire the missiles within its mouth at Garmadon and his mech, much to his teammates' horror.

"Dumbass! What the hell are you doing!?" The black ninja hollered amidst the chaos.

Missiles kept flying and civilians took cover. The red ninja and silver kunoichi quickly hopped into their respective mechs to shield the townsfolk from the smoke and debris.

"You idiot! You're gonna get us killed!" The teal kunoichi yelled, not caring if her teammate heard her.

The smoke eventually cleared and Garmadon's mech remained in the exact same position while there were no signs of the dark lord himself.

"How foolish," The sinister warmonger's voice was now clear when he spoke from inside his mech, "To make all those mechs only to rush into battle and ruin your own chances. You're still little more than a bunch of fledglings too young and inexperienced to even make the slightest difference and look where your naivete got you. I will have no part in the consequences of your sheer stupidity but I will confess that the next time we meet, you may not be so lucky. Until next time."

Garmadon's mech retreated back to his stronghold, leaving the green ninja to deal with the results of his little outburst. Underneath his mask, Lloyd's lips moved as if trying to utter a certain word but not a single sound came out. But there were bigger things to worry about, such as his teammates' opinion of him. He can even feel the death glares aiming at him and only him.

But even with how pissed they were, the ninja didn't say anything. Even the civilians stared at him in stunned silence. This was the very first time they ever witnessed any of the ninja lose their cool. With Garmadon out of the picture for now, there was nothing else the ninja could do but retreat.

And Lloyd knew that could only spell even bigger trouble for him…

* * *

 **Looks like Lloyd just keeps digging a bigger hole for himself to fall into.**

 **I can't go without saying thank you to everyone who supported me & this story so far! I can't put it into words but I couldn't be more grateful to you all! Thank you!**


	74. What Friends Are For

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Before we get started I want to apologize for how late it is. I got very sick while working on this chapter & I couldn't even get out of bed. I'm still feeling a bit queasy but I think I'm well enough to update today. So without further ado, we'll see the consequences of last chapter's disaster. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 73: What Friends Are For

Lloyd still didn't say a single word during the whole trip back and neither did the ninja. He knew they were all a bunch of ticking time bombs waiting to explode once they were away from the public eye. Even after everything that's happened and what his mind is going through, he can't really blame them. He let his own hatred get the better of him.

All he could remember was that his whole psyche went blank at that moment.

Nothing mattered to him except destroying Garmadon, the man who ruined his life in more ways than one. He didn't even care if all the questions he had about him may never be answered. The only thing he could comprehend was to have a real taste of revenge. He already experienced a little bit of it at a hefty price during that incident with Violet and what he just did made it clear how much he craved it.

Soon, the warehouse was in sight and that was where Lloyd will face the wrath of his own friends. He prepared himself for what's to come once the Mech Dragon made it inside and shut down. The rest of the ninja followed suit and not even one full second passed after every single ninja and mechs made it inside when the team finally let Lloyd have it.

"WHAT THE FUCKIN' HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Kai roared in right in front of Lloyd's face.

The green ninja shrunk back from the fire ninja's rage but didn't say anything. He knew he had no right to say anything after putting not just the ninja but even the citizens of Ninjago City in danger. Besides, he already expected Kai to be the first one to explode.

"You should've known better than to even _think_ you could fire a freakin' missile at Garma-freakin'-don and live!" An equally enraged Iris joined in.

"Of all the stupid things you could do, you just had pick the worst action at the worst time possible!" Nya added.

"I know you have a bunch of issues but that doesn't mean you can put everyone else in danger!" Even Luna was disappointed in the green ninja.

The green ninja can do nothing but listen to his teammates insult and berate him for letting his daddy issues get the better of him. His psyche was already going through all kinds of hell and the ninja were giving him a hard time and bantering on how he should be protecting the citizens

"Why should I care about them!?" Lloyd lashed out after having to listen to his own friends rat him out for many minutes without end.

The ninja were taken aback by their teammate's outburst and he didn't give them a chance to respond before he continued.

"All they ever do is judge and make assumptions! Why should I save their asses after all those years of being treated as less than garbage by them!? And it's all because of Garmadon! I should've killed him on the spot! That would've done everyone a favor!"

"It is our duty as ninja to defend those who cannot defend themselves, not to destroy anyone." Zane tried reasoning with the green ninja.

"Zane, out of all of us, you'd have the most reasons to _not_ care about them!" Lloyd changed the focus of his ire to his own teammate.

"What… do you mean…?" The ice ninja was confused by what his brother in arms just said.

"Do you forget about all those times everyone dismissed you as just a machine every time we go on a mission!? How could you even go on about protecting people if they're the same bullies who've made your own life a living hell!?"

"I… I was programmed to -"

"But what about how you really feel!? Is letting the people who bully you get away with it making you feel any way fulfilled!? Or even happy!?"

"I… do not think I ever felt happiness regardless of the mission's outcome..."

"Lloyd, Zane has nothing to do with this!" Heather spread out a protective arm before the nindroid.

"And you! All of you have been picked on before and you still don't do anything about it! You still act like everything's going perfectly for you! Well it's disgusting! I'm sick of playing pretend!"

"There's still no excuse for jeopardizing anyone else so you can have any sort of satisfaction!" Nya also showed disappointment in the green ninja.

"You still have no idea what it's like, do you!?" Lloyd's emerald eyes started to glisten with angry tears but he kept going, "None of you will ever understand how I feel!"

Before the ninja could respond, Master Wu stepped in and they were sure he'll also call out Lloyd for almost getting his teammates killed or worse.

"Say no more, Lloyd." He gently reprimanded his nephew.

Everyone became silent, waiting to hear what their old teacher had to say...

"I am disappointed… yet I am not surprised..." Master Wu said as calm as always.

"What are you getting at?"

"Lloyd, you are still young and have much to learn. One of those lessons is to never do anything out of blind anger."

"Blind anger? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I will consider today's session over for the rest of you," Wu faced the other ninja, "There are several things I wish to speak to my nephew about with absolutely no interference."

The ninja knew exactly what their mentor was getting at for once and took it as their cue to head back home. One by one, they changed back into their regular clothes and left but not without giving Lloyd a dark glare as their way of saying 'goodbye'.

Once it was just the two of them, Master Wu looked at Lloyd straight in the eyes. The green ninja can't tell exactly what his uncle was thinking. Just like how the old man always hides what he means in his choice of words, he was also able to keep his true emotions hidden in his expression. He couldn't even find a hint of what he's really thinking in his eyes that kept staring at him.

"Lloyd, tell me. What was going on in your mind the moment Garmadon revealed himself?" Wu finally said something after what felt like an eternity of uneasy silence.

The green ninja furrowed his eyebrows, making the creases between them all the more prominent, a clear sign he was angry to put it lightly. Master Wu allowed his nephew to think about what was going through his psyche at that moment. The answers don't always come immediately.

"I… don't know..." Lloyd lowered his head in defeat.

"Just as I thought..." Wu mused out loud.

The green ninja expected his uncle to go on about how he's just a little boy who doesn't know a whole lot about the real world but…

"Like so many things, revenge is very tempting but in the end, will that make you happy?" Master Wu asked, his eyes never leaving his nephew, not for even one second.

"Of course it would. Garmadon will be gone, everyone will forget about him, and I can live my own life without that evil bastard ruining everything!" Lloyd quickly answered, a little too quickly to convince the wise old man.

"But for Garmadon to be gone from not only Ninjago but from your life forever… Is that truly what you want…?" Wu still interrogated his relative.

"Why _wouldn't_ it be?"

"With Garmadon gone, that will leave you without a father."

"He's not a father. He doesn't deserve to even be called that after everything he's done… and hasn't. Besides, I still have my mom. I'll be fine."

"But Garmadon will never have the chance to do those things you claim he didn't if he's gone. He will never be there for you or give you the kind of love only a father can give. Is that still what you want?"

Lloyd still didn't answer, which his uncle was already expecting. Answers to questions like these, more often than not, don't show up quickly. He knew what it's like and remained patient with him.

"The world is full of temptations and it is a part of human nature to be touched by them. As such, they tend to bring out the worst in everyone. I have also felt it. That is why you mustn't surrender to your darker emotions. They are a part of being human so it is unhealthy to let them control you. You have the choice to obtain what you truly want but you could also make choices that could destroy all hopes of achieving them. I cannot live your life for you so this is yet another trial you must face yourself. That is all I have to tell you for today."

Master Wu retreated back to his corner of the warehouse. Lloyd knew it'll be no use trying to squeeze more information out of him. The green ninja let out a deep sigh of resignation and frustration while he prepared for the trip back home. Lloyd walked a good distance away from the ninja base when he became aware that he was being followed. The pitter-patter of little feet prompted the green ninja to turn around and he was met by Varjo, who apparently followed him for a bit. His heart softened a tiny bit seeing the innocent creature following him like he never did anything wrong.

"Sometimes I envy you," The green ninja said to the critter, "You don't have to worry about having to save the same people who treat you worse than dirt nor having all your friends turn on you for making just one little mistake."

Varjo tilted her head with one of her ears flopping in the process. As cute as it was, it failed to alleviate the green ninja's depressive mood.

"Okay, fine. It wasn't a little mistake. I put everyone in danger. I don't give a shit about the people but I didn't want my friends to get hurt. Too bad they now hate me too."

The little mutt still stared at him before letting out a little whine and laid down on the outcast's feet.

"At least you can't talk back..." Lloyd absentmindedly scratched one of Varjo's ears.

"When all this started, Uncle once said something about how showing emotions like fear and sadness makes one stronger than those who hide them..." The green ninja's vision got blurry and he rubbed his eyes that were wetter than usual.

"I am feeling sad to put it lightly… yet I don't feel any bit stronger..." Lloyd's eyes became more wet, his nose started to stuff up, and his throat tightened.

Varjo tilted her head again as if asking the green ninja to explain what he's really trying to say.

"This will be between just you and me, okay?" Lloyd's lips struggled to curl into a sad smile.

The tumult of emotions finally got to Lloyd and he let the tears escape. They rolled down his cheeks in an endless stream as he huddled up in the corner with Varjo being the only being to ever see him cry. As long as she can't talk and he doesn't say anything, his secret will be kept with him for the rest of his miserable life.

Little did he know it wasn't just him and his canine companion.

Wu was on his way back to his abode when he heard it. He could hear the weeping of a lonely youth and he knew exactly who it was by their voice alone. He also chose not to interfere because they will have to face their emotions by themselves if they truly want to become stronger.

* * *

The day started like every other day for Lloyd. He was greeted with the glares of other students as he made his way into the school.

"Have you heard what happened the other day?"

"Of course! It's still all over the news!"

"I can't believe the green ninja would do something like that."

Lloyd pinched the bridge of his nose. Looks like everyone's opinion of both sides of him finally match. Just as he predicted way back when his uncle proposed the idea of being a ninja for the first time.

The ninja were still pissed at him, if their avoidance of him indicated anything. Not even Kai burst in to defend him from Chen's pestering between science and PE. It really wasn't all that different from any other school day for him. He was now truly alone and that was how it was meant to be for him. It was foolish of him to even hope in the first place.

* * *

Koko was laid off on yet another job and spent much of the time she had to herself at home searching for another. It was becoming something of a regular occurrence in her life.

'I guess it's to be expected for being that one 'slut' who let the dark lord have his way with her…' She thought bitterly but didn't let it get to her. She now knows better than to let anger and other negative emotions distract her from what's really important. Even with every terrible thing that's happened to her ever since she left Garmadon, she'll still do every possible thing she can for her son.

"I'm home." Her son's voice greeted her.

"How was your day?" Koko asked, even if she knew his answer will be the exact same as it had always been ever since he first started attending school…

"Awful." Lloyd answered flatly.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize. You have nothing to do with this."

"But I shouldn't have forced you into this kind of life. If there's anyone who should be hated for being related to Garmadon, it's me."

"Don't the people of Ninjago City hate you too?" It was no secret to the teenage outcast that his only good parent was also wildly despised by the locals.

"Unlike with you, they have… understandable reasons…" Koko briefly reminisced on how difficult her life had been since leaving Garmadon.

"But don't you hate it?"

"They things they've said to me have hurt but it is the price I must pay for all the mistakes I've made."

"Am I… one of those mistakes…?"

"Of course not! Your father and I wanted to have a child after we got married!"

"Garmadon probably just wanted an heir to be as evil as him..."

"He didn't! He did want to have a family!"

"Doesn't he already have Uncle Wu?"

"I don't mean _that_ kind of family. It was part of the reason why we got married in the first place. There is really a lot more to Garmadon than his reputation. If only you and everybody else could see what I saw in him."

"What did you even see in him?"

"We may have fought on opposing sides but we were still similar in more ways than one. We were full of determination to our goals and we learned that we shared several interests outside our goals. The biggest one of all was that we wanted to leave it all behind and have our own family. He may have let his ambitions overshadow those feelings, your father truly loved you. I had never seen him so happy when you were born."

"That only made it worse." Lloyd crossed his arms like an indignant child.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Koko wrapped her arms around him in a protective embrace, "I didn't this kind of life for you but things usually happen for a reason. That's also why there are bad things in our lives."

"But it's always nothing but bad things for me."

"Lloyd, your destiny isn't sealed in stone. It is something you must decide for yourself. You're also the one who will determine if your future will be good or bad. But listen to me, no matter what choice you make, as long as it's something you truly want, I will support you."

"Mom..."

Even with all the terrible things that's happened to him, at least Lloyd has his mother…

* * *

Kai and Nya made it to school after Lloyd arrived but they still ignored him, at least until now. After his sister set off to do her own thing, the fire ninja tried to brush up his skills with the ladies. He may not have to most successful record of girls to fall for his dashing looks and fiery charisma that didn't stop him from trying. He was confident he'll win over the ladies one day just like how his father wooed his mother. Actually, their parents never told him or Nya anything about how they met and stuff like that. It was a little odd but it wasn't his problem.

"You know, I could brighten your day if you know what I mean." The fire ninja winked while slamming his hand against the wall next to his latest recipient of his suave pick-up lines.

"Get away from me you ice cream-hair freak!" The schoolgirl sneered and slipped away from him.

'Welp. That's the ninety-fourth girl who fail to see my charm,' Kai indulged in a bit of self-deprecation, 'I bet I'm gonna reach one hundred before I find someone who will.'

The fiery youth was on his way to his first class when he saw an all-too-familiar spectacle.

Kai saw none other than Lloyd being pestered by Griffin Pevsner.

"I don't want any trouble." Lloyd shrunk back from the arrogant teen.

"Really? Then maybe you shouldn't even be here." Griffin glared at the pariah.

"Hey! Assface!" An abrasive voice echoed behind them.

Everyone turned to see who dared call the popular Griffin Pevsner an assface. Turns out it was no one else but Hinata Kai himself. The hot-blooded teen still glared daggers at the popular jerk.

"Is there something you would like to say to me?" Griffin asked with a dark tone.

"Yeah!" Kai didn't back off, "I already said how your face looks like an ass!"

Lloyd was astonished by the red ninja's presence alone. The hotheaded teen seemed oblivious to the green ninja's reaction and was more focused on giving Griffin a hard time.

"What? Gonna spew out even more shit?" Kai snapped at the jerk.

Griffin grabbed the collar of Kai's shirt and stared at him right in the eyes. Even with that, the spitfire of a teen still wouldn't stop glaring at him.

"I'm going to beat you up so bad the girls will only look at you because they wouldn't believe how ugly you'll be once I'm through with you." The popular douchebag threatened him.

"Go ahead." The spiky-haired young man replied coolly.

The warning bell rang, ruining any chances for Pevsner to ruin any more lives. He reluctantly let go of Kai's shirt and left but not without shooting a death glare at him, followed by everyone else sans the outcast the hothead was defending.

Once things finally settled down, it still took Lloyd many moments to gain the mettle to say anything.

"I thought you were still super pissed." The green ninja spoke.

"Of course I am." Kai said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then why would you bother to chase off Pevsner if you're also mad at me?"

"I can never stand bullies, no matter who they're picking on."

"That still doesn't explain why you would help me after what I did."

"I can never turn a blind eye whenever someone's in trouble, especially you..."

"...Me…?"

"Even after what you did, I just can't stay mad at your forever. I don't know why. It's kinda like there's something special between us, something awfully cliched."

"It's not like those cheesy high school 'love' stories is it?"

"Of course not! You and me in that sort of relationship!? That's pure bullshit!"

Lloyd stared at Kai with scrutinizing emerald eyes for several seconds until...

"You may be an overprotective friend… but at least you're _my_ overprotective friend..." The green ninja shook his head but he had known Kai for too long to find himself unable to accept him any other way.

"As long as it isn't something _really_ stupid like summoning a giant monster to destroy the city, then I'll stay by your side." Kai threw an arm over Lloyd's shoulders, who gave him a light punch in the chest, a sign things were finally starting to look up for the outcast.

* * *

During the walk home, Kai and Nya spent what time they had discussing the events of Ninjago High.

"I would've never thought something like that could happen." Nya spoke first.

"What are you talking about?" Kai raised an eyebrow at his sister's statement. The silver kunoichi fell silent for a single moment before finally admitting something.

"I swear I saw you this morning with Lloyd. We're all supposed to be mad at him."

"Now… I'm starting to understand how he felt..."

"You? Understanding another person's feelings?"

"Shut it." Kai wasn't in the mood to deal with a mouthy sister but explained anyway.

"Lloyd's life is really shitty. When everyone hates you for something you have no control over, it's only a matter of time before you explode with pure unbridled rage. I can't imagine what I would be like if I were in his shoes for a day."

"I think I'm starting to see where you're getting at..."

"Don't you see? Friends are supposed to be there and support each other. Do you remember when we first met Lloyd?"

The memory was still vivid in the minds of the Hinata siblings. They could never forget how vulnerable he looked hiding in the corner of the elementary school that day.

"That still isn't an excuse for putting all of Ninjago City in danger." Nya still couldn't let go of what the green ninja had done.

"May be, but if there's anything Lloyd needs right now, it's us. We decided to be his friends and we're gonna have to do what friends are supposed to do."

"But he still got us in big trouble and almost blew our cover. I don't know about you but I'm not willing to sweep something like that under the rug."

"You don't have to act like he never did that. I'm still pissed at what he did but friends don't abandon each other, no matter what. We're his first friends and we should've known better."

Nya looked back on how she and the ninja treated Lloyd that day. She hated the thought of stooping to the same level as the pathetic bullies at school. Even if Lloyd had done something incredibly idiotic, she didn't want to be like those assholes who already pick on him either. It was a tough choice for her to make and the answers remained unclear to her.

"I don't know, Kai. I need some time to think about it." The kunoichi of water walked on ahead.

Even if she didn't want to say it, Kai had a feeling Nya will come to a conclusion soon. In fact, it will be much sooner than they'll both suspect…

* * *

 **So will the other ninja give poor Lloyd another chance? You'll have to wait & see to find out.**

 **Once again, I'm very sorry for not updating sooner. Until then, see you in the next update.**


	75. Dysfunction Junction

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Happy Halloween! Unfortunately, I don't have any special Halloween stories this year but at least I got this story updated! I'm still feeling a bit sick but I'm doing fine. Now, we'll see how if the others will forgive Lloyd. Read on to find out.**

* * *

Chapter 74: Dysfunction Junction

Its been a few days since the incident with Garmadon and the other ninja were still ignoring Lloyd.

That is except for one ninja.

"Hey! We're still supposed to be mad at him!" Aria complained seeing Kai standing next to Lloyd while the rest of the team kept their distance. Even the rest of the team looked at the fire ninja like he had three eyes or five arms.

"Guys, I understand how pissed you are but if we're a team, then we should at least act like one." The hot-blooded teen tried reasoning with his teammates.

"I understand what you're saying and I'm all for teamwork but there's no way I'm gonna let something like that slide so easily." Cole let out an almost condescending snort while refusing to abide by the red ninja's ideals.

"Kai, please. You don't have to -" Lloyd tried to convince his first friend not to cause more trouble but the red ninja can be very stubborn and now was one of those times.

"How can I not!? You don't deserve anyone hating you for no good reason! Garmadon may be evil but you're not! No one has ever seen you try to conquer or destroy the city so why does everyone have to treat you the same!?"

"I can deal with them myself."

"And look where it's gotten you! You don't deserve this!"

"Even after what I did?"

"You weren't trying to hurt anyone… besides Garmadon of course. But you're not the same as him."

"He still tried to attack Garmadon all of a sudden and caused a lot of damage! Go ahead and try telling us that's not what Garmadon already does!" Heather reminded Kai of what their teammate did.

"Yeah, like treating someone differently after doing just one bad thing isn't any better!" Kai retorted, "We're his friends! We shouldn't just abandon him like that!"

"I hate to break it to you but not all of us have known Lloyd well enough to be considered his friends." Iris pointed out.

"What about you, Nya?" Kai asked his sister, who flinched a bit, "You always go on about how I never think and always doing stupid stuff. We even talked about it the other day."

"One, you're my family, not my friend. And second, what Lloyd did was completely different from the bullshit you always pull off." Even the sister of fire seemed reluctant to take his side.

"Kai, just drop it," Lloyd finally intervened, "It's too late. They'll never forgive me."

"Forgiveness is much more complex than it seems." An old voice spoke before things can get ugly. The entirety of the Secret Ninja Force stepped aside so the owner of that voice can continue.

"Forgiving someone does not mean you forget what they've done," Master Wu intervened with words of wisdom as he usually does, "It is not healthy to let the past consume your minds. We all have made many mistakes before but we can learn from them. I have learned many lessons through mine. Now,"T will you do the same?"

"You sure about that? You never put an entire city in danger because of family issues, have you?" Luna looked at Wu with curiosity in her hazel eyes.

"While I can't say they're at the same scale as what my young nephew had done, I have caused more than a few problems for others because of my selfishness in the past. Humans are selfish by nature." The old mentor said in a rather cynical way while helping himself to yet another cup of green tea.

"Then what should it be? Forgive him or no?" Iris became frustrated with Wu's cryptic answers.

"That will be entirely up to you. A team must be united to work together but even I can't force you to go against what you truly believe. This will be something you'll have to decide for yourselves."

"Are you gonna drop it or no?" Kai interrogated the rest of the team.

"We're gonna need some time to think over this." Luna said while refusing to look at him in the eyes.

"Fine." The red ninja reluctantly let the other ninja go on with their lives.

Lloyd felt extremely uncomfortable through the whole thing. It was always embarrassing whenever Kai goes about trying to defend him like he can't do anything on his own without getting hurt. As if being hated by his own friends were bad enough already. The other ninja still kept their distance sans Kai.

"Lloyd, are you gonna be alright?" Kai looked at the green ninja with concern.

"Yeah. I'm gonna just forget it all happened- of course I won't!" The young outcast snapped.

"Don't listen to what the others say. They're just a bunch of little piss-babies." The red ninja scoffed at the other ninja.

"What is a piss-baby?" The duo were caught off guard by the random voice joining them.

"Zane! Don't do that!" Kai yelled at the nindroid.

"I am sorry for startling you." Zane apologized in his usual overly formal ways.

"Are you… going to let it go…?" Lloyd asked with a lot of apprehension.

"How can I let go of anything? I am not holding any objects in my hand." The innocent nindroid tilted his head much like a confused pup would.

"He means forgiving him, Zane." Kai facepalmed in frustration at the android's naivete.

"I am afraid I cannot answer. I still do not fully understand the concept of forgiveness." The humanoid answered before sliding away on the wheels built into his feet. Even when he was all by himself, Zane kept asking himself a question he was unable to answer.

'What is… forgiveness…?' He had the basic definition in the dictionary installed in his programming yet he felt he still didn't truly understand the very concept of it.

* * *

Zane wore an uneasy expression on his face even while chopping up the vegetables for his father's last meal of the day. Of course Dr. Julien was quick to notice since his child was always most content when cooking food for him. Something must be wrong.

"My son, tell me. What's bothering you?" The elderly inventor saw how tense the android looked and wanted to comfort him.

"Father… how do you forgive someone?" The pale humanoid asked after he was done with preparing the ingredients for the curry that will be tonight's dinner.

"Why do you ask?"

"My friend… has done something that could have harmed us..."

"And…?"

"Another friend said that we have to… stick together and be there for one another… I am still learning more about friendships but there is something going on with my programming that insists that getting the answer as soon as possible is a necessity. Father, have you ever dealt with this sort of dilemma in the past?"

"I'm not sure if my answer is the correct one. I never had a lot of friends growing up and everyone has different experiences..." Dr. Julien reminisced on the many years he had lived.

"What were your experiences like?"

"Zane, there are many things about my past I don't want you to find out for now but I suppose I have time to tell you about one of my experiences. I knew a few people I worked with during the early days of my career as an engineer. They occasionally approached me whenever they needed help and I was always willing to lend a hand. Helping them often made me feel that I felt like I belonged with them. I could be wrong, though. I haven't seen them in years. In the end, they were more like colleagues than friends so I don't know if my answer will satisfy you."

"Did you ever have any disagreements with them?"

"I didn't share the exact same opinions as them from time to time. We often spoke for many minutes before we could finally make an agreement. Friendships and anything of that sort is never easy. Even the best of friends will face conflicts with one another, based on what I have observed. But I could be wrong. Not even I have full knowledge of everything."

"What kind of disagreements did you have?"

"We had differing views on how to solve… certain problems. Some of us, including myself, decided to go with logic while others followed intuition."

"Did these disagreements ever brought consequences?"

"As with all conflicts, there were but I didn't let it get in the way of what we were meant to do. I don't know if all I can say to you now will do any good. Your friends may be feuding over something I haven't experienced myself."

"That is not all. I also want to know what it truly means to forgive someone."

"The best way I can define forgiveness is… letting go of the past," Dr. Julien old eyes turned misty from all the memories he had made in his long life, "What has happened can never be changed, no matter how much you want it otherwise. Instead of going against the flow of time, you must flow with it. We all should learn from the past, live in the present, and prepare for the future. I know you will learn to forgive but that is the best answer I can come up with for now. I'm sorry."

"Please do not apologize, Father. I believe I will find the answer I am searching for one day. Now, I will go and make dinner. You must be hungry." Zane had no choice but to settle for his father's answer for the moment as well as finish the curry. As with all things, knowing what forgiveness is may take time.

* * *

Garmadon watched as his large mech was being fixed by his team of mechanics. Luckily, there wasn't any major damage from the Mech Dragon, or to be more accurate, from the green ninja.

"I don't get what his big deal is," The dark lord complained to no one in particular while watching the mech getting repaired, "We may be enemies but we never met until now and he went on like I spat at his mother's grave. It's his fault for acting like a selfish little brat."

"Maybe it's because you're basically sworn enemies." The random goon next to him said.

It took only one dark glance from the four-armed warlord that the minion took back their words with a quick 'never mind' before scurrying back to their duties.

"My lord, we have discovered some of the wires in the right arm have been broken and it will take at least two days to repair them." One of Garmadon's scientists told him after completing the analysis on the damage the mech took from the disastrous first meeting with the Secret Ninja Force.

"Very well." The dark lord turned back towards his personal chambers to muse over the green ninja.

Garmadon _still_ couldn't shake off this strange feeling that he's seen him in person before. It was more than a little strange. He had never actually met anyone in the city since his lover left him. Besides that, he tasted the bitterness of humiliation for the first time in ages.

The only way to find answers is to confront the green ninja again in person, whether he likes it or not.

* * *

Once he got his share of 'chicken nuggets' from the cafeteria, Jay stood like a deer in headlights before taking his seat with the other ninja. The timid boy was always unsure of where to sit during lunchtime, even if there's now a little clique where he belongs. Old habits die hard.

Finally, the blue ninja made his way towards the table where the ninja usually sit sans Lloyd, who still would rather eat alone at the rooftop. While he usually sat next to Nya, she was absent today and that left only the corner of the table right next to…

"What are you waiting for?" Cole raised a bushy eyebrow at Jay's reluctance to do… anything besides standing there and letting his food go to waste.

"S-sorry..." The blue ninja stammered and took his seat next to the buff teen.

The freckled teen still felt a bit uneasy being so close to someone so vastly different from him.

"You don't have to be so fidgety all the time. You just gotta lay back and take what life throws at you." Cole leaned back on his chair and turned up the volume on that radio he's rarely seen without.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Um… always listening to music… and live like everything's alright…?" Jay fumbled with his words. He mentally slapped himself for saying it like Cole was an idiot.

'Cole isn't stupid… is he…?' The lightning ninja was astonished by his own assumption of his cohort.

The black ninja was more often than not lost in his own little world. He can't tell if he thought of him as just another teammate or nothing but a clumsy incompetent nerd. It's bad enough they were very different already. It made Jay feel even more nervous around him.

If only he can be as calm as Cole always seems to be...

While Jay was fretting over pretty much everything, Cole observed the little guy. He was already very different from himself which he was fine with. The thing is if he keeps worrying about what everyone might think of him, then he's gonna look like a fool. Still, Jay was his friend and teammate. He wanted to help him just as much as everybody else.

"Jay?" Cole tried talking to him again, inadvertently causing the shy ninja to yelp.

"W-w-what now…?" Jay quivered.

"You don't have to assume the whole world's out to get you." The black ninja spoke to him. Whether he was exasperated or trying to give advice, Jay wasn't sure. All the poor guy wanted to do was survive another day in this hellhole that is Ninjago High.

"Sorry, I was just startled."

"Stop acting like there's something wrong with being the way you are," Cole continued talking to him, "You'll be better off that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Jay, I don't tell a lot of people this but -"

The warning bell rang, interrupting what Cole was going to say to him. Only the black ninja will know what words he would've exchanged with the blue ninja. Jay was left even more confused than before. He didn't know what to believe.

Was Cole really nothing more than a cool jock above his league?

Or could they have been… friends…?

Too bad Jay will never know… for the time being.

* * *

Luna observed Lloyd being pestered by classmates as always during art class. It wasn't anything new but now that she was part of the same group of vigilantes as him, seeing the outcast being picked on had this effect on her she can't quite place her finger on.

"Okay, class. Settle down." Ms. Moorington seemed to finally make a stand for the pariah for once.

'Here it comes...' The green ninja knew there was a catch. There always was.

"You have time to hate on that little demon later."

Luna internally cringed when she said that. Teachers are supposed to… well… teach, not bully.

"Today, we'll do something a little different," Ms. Moorington gave out the agenda for today's session, "I want you to paint an abstract work to display your innermost thoughts from the moment you begin painting all the way to the end."

"What kind of thoughts should we draw." One of the students raised their hand.

"Whatever you feel. Happiness, sadness, anger, and everything in between. I want to see how each of you convey your inner selves and interpret them into art form."

The very first color of paint Luna used ended up being green, which she didn't even realize even after she began painting a few strokes of it onto the canvas. She didn't really care what she was doing and was letting her impulses do all the work. The kunoichi of sound was in her own little world while she guided her paintbrush and used different colors of paint with the guidance of her subconsciousness.

One by one, the paintings were done, including Lloyd's.

"Put it in the back so the paint can dry." Ms. Moorington mumbled towards the outcast without even looking at his work.

Lloyd shrugged off her apathetic attitude and did as he told. The sooner he gets out, the better.

More and more students turned in their artwork and Luna was still painting until she was the last one. Art class was almost over by the time she finally put the painting tools down and the teacher went to check on her and observe what she made.

"Luna, let me see what you've painted." Ms. Moorington came over to see Luna's latest creation.

For the first time, Luna actually got a good look at what she was painting and was surprised.

In the center of the now fully-colored canvas was a green figure and surrounding it were abstract faces all pointing their eyes at it with either sad or angry expression. Aside from the figure, the most of the painting had dark colors save for the very top which had several red streaks strewn about. All in all, it wasn't really that impressive, looking more like something a young grade school student would make. The green person even looked like a crude stick figure than a human silhouette. Ms. Moorington was put off by the quality since Luna usually did better in other projects.

"Care to explain what this all mean?" The art teacher goaded the shy girl to describe her thoughts.

"...I… don't know..." Even Luna was astonished by what she created with her own hands.

"There are some things we just can't decipher and that's part of what being confused is," The teacher shrugged, "But does the green person represent someone you've been thinking of?"

"...I… guess..." Luna still can't tell anyone anything about the Secret Ninja Force. Before, she wouldn't have thought keeping such a huge secret could be so much of a burden and now, she grew concerned she'll find herself stuck in a situation where spilling the truth will be the only way to save her skin.

Aside from that, there's also whether she should forgive Lloyd or not. True, he messed up big time on their last mission but he also did much more for the team than she had as of yet. He's the one building all those mechs while she just barely manages to keep up with the rest. In fact, the ninja owe him for the success of their missions.

Kai was able to forgive Lloyd so what's stopping _her_?

And will it stay that way?

* * *

More days have passed but the tension between Lloyd and the rest of the team sans Kai were just as heavy as before. The poor guy was starting to lose hope.

As always, Lloyd ate his lunch alone at the rooftop of Ninjago High. He picked at the variety of foods in the lunchbox his mother made for him. He knew she really loved him very much but love alone can't make his problems go away.

"Mind if I join you?" A female voice resounded next to him.

The green ninja flinched from the sudden voice but his heart slowed with relief when he Nya. She may still be pissed at him but at least she provided a familiar face in the midst of his solitude. Lloyd didn't say a single word but shifted aside to give space for his teammate to sit. The kunoichi of water seated herself next to him and went straight to her umpteenth attempt to swallow down her school lunch. It felt like an hour had passed when the normally tenacious girl finally said something.

"Having what few friends you have turn their back on you must be tough." Nya started.

"Don't worry. It's nothing compared to being judged from day one." Lloyd replied dryly.

"Those people are pathetic. I often told myself that there's no way I'm gonna stoop to their level. It's a shame how the other ninja seem to hate you for screwing up once."

"You're one to talk. You were siding with them."

"That is true..."

"So you're not gonna let go of what I did?"

"I don't know if I'll ever get over it but I have no choice but accept that it happened. It's pointless just bitching and moaning over something you can't change."

"Try telling the others that."

"I can't control what they think. We'll just have to wait and see if they'll come around… or don't."

"I can't imagine how we'll work together if they never forgive me."

"Don't worry. If they don't, then Kai and I can deal with them."

"Then how will we work as a team? If everyone else is gonna stay mad at me, there's no way we could stop Garmadon and actually be a team."

"There's nothing we can do about it so might as well try to move on. Besides, nobody's perfect."

"What do you think Garmadon will do next?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to wait and find out..."

Lloyd's place among the team was still uncertain. The only upside was Nya finally siding with him. Now only time will tell if the others do the same…

* * *

 **Congrats Lloyd! Nya's no longer pissed at you & now you have seven more ninja to go!**

 **Hope you all have a Happy Halloween & please review!**


	76. And So It Continues

**Discovering Destiny**

 **It's that time again! I'm back with another update! There's still some tension going on between Lloyd and the rest of the team so will it ever get resolved? And how are the other ninja doing? Read on to find out!**

* * *

Chapter 75: And So It Continues...

There was still tension among the ninja a week after Lloyd tried to blast Garmadon into oblivion. The rest of the Secret Ninja Force except for the Hinata siblings still kept their distance from him.

"Oh come on!" Kai (predictably) exploded, "How can you keep abandoning Lloyd like that!?"

"You can't expect us to forgive Lloyd as quickly as you did. We're not you." Iris retorted.

"Patience, Kai," Master Wu interfered with the hothead's latest outburst, "Some people take up more time than others to forgive someone."

"Sure! By the time they do, a sloth would've walked across the whole city! A sloth with only one limb!" The fire ninja remained skeptical if the others will let go of what Lloyd did.

"Then thank god for that sloth. It'll live to see the day." Heather deadpanned.

"Is there really a sloth loose in the city?" Aria asked, being the airhead she is.

"I do not believe this conversation is about mammals of the pilosa order." Zane answered.

"Forget it," Cole shrugged, "If these guys are gonna make a big deal out of it, then why bother?"

Once again, Lloyd found himself all alone with even the ninja shunning him except for Kai and Nya.

"Some friends they are..." The fire ninja fumed in the back, "If it weren't for us having to be trapped in all this ninja bullshit, I would've beaten the crap out of them..."

"Oh give it a rest." Nya mumbled in exasperation, "If the others are gonna act like a bunch of stubborn assholes, then they're not worth our time."

"Then how will be able to work as a team?" Lloyd pondered.

"Don't ask me. I'm not the one hiding answers from everybody." Kai threw a quick glance towards Wu.

"There is no single answer to most problems these days." The old teacher said almost out of the blue, startling the fire ninja.

"W-where did you come from…!?" The fiery ninja still needed time getting used to his elderly tutor's… unorthodox ways.

"The answer rests in what your next course of action will be. That is all." Wu said almost as suddenly as he interfered to begin with.

The ninja didn't expect him to say any more words and that's exactly what happened. Master Wu was back to sipping his tea in the corner. He even seemed aware of how annoying he appeared to his own students yet he didn't seem to make any efforts to do so much as give a damn. Lloyd knew it won't do him any good to argue with him.

"Come on, Lloyd," Nya guided the outcast towards his work area, "We still gotta work on the mechs."

Lloyd knew better than to hope finishing more mechs will have the others forgive him or let bygones be bygones. Still, he had to get them done before Garmadon could make more mechs for himself. It's now a race against time with more than his place among the team at stake…

* * *

Today, things were a little bit different at Ninjago High.

Ever since the Garmadon incident, sales of green ninja merchandise have slowed down. It wasn't that much of a surprise to Lloyd, not so much that he felt let down when everyone stopped talking about the green ninja like he was the greatest thing ever. He thought he would be relieved when the next big thing comes and his ninja persona will be forgotten but he didn't expect to feel…

Wait. What is it that he's feeling?

All he knew was that he's not wholly content with the citizens of Ninjago City dropping the green ninja craze like expired meat. There was even a small part of him that wanted to take it all back and be the subject of everyone's adoration again. Lloyd was aware how hypocritical it was to think that way. One day, he's complaining about having his image plastered on every object imaginable. The next day, he's upset over being forgotten and losing his appeal to the public.

Why would he get upset for losing something he didn't want anyway?

It was the closest thing to acceptance he ever had but Lloyd didn't want that kind of acceptance and certainly not the way he did. He would've thought the other ninja would be happy to be the center of attention for a change but it looks like they're still too pissed at him to enjoy the moment.

Except for Kai.

"The red ninja? Of course he's the strongest _and_ he's the best-looking one to boot!" The hot-blooded ninja basically bragged about himself while taking advantage of the attention no longer being invested on just the green ninja.

"And how do you know that?" Some students were skeptical of the spiky-haired young man's boasts.

"I have my ways..." Kai answered with a cocky smirk.

The only reason Lloyd didn't roll his eyes at Kai's massive ego was so his emerald eyes wouldn't fall out of their sockets from all the times he's already done it. Still, Kai was a loyal friend through and through and he knew him for too long to have him any other way.

Joining Lloyd was Nya, who was just as exasperated by yet accepting of her brother's arrogance. Being a competitive girl, she wasn't exactly thrilled having him beat her in terms of popularity for now. She still hasn't shown the world what she's really capable of as the kunoichi of water. Kai will have to wait and see who's the real badass in the team.

* * *

Today was yet another day at the music club. Progress on the Steadfast Tin Soldier musical was going smoothly and Brad planned for it to premiere in at least one month. The other students were already talking about it and some were looking forward to seeing it though Cole was sure those were just the shallow bimbos who only want to gush over the handsome Griffin Pevsner.

"Cole! Help us set up some props!" Brad commanded the buff teen to use his muscles to help out.

"On it." Cole didn't hesitate to help get the stage prepped for the music club's next performance. The stage now had the backdrop of a castle and some swans in the background to mimic the toy castle in the original story. The black ninja felt happy for the music club making more progress in their project. At least Brad, as silly as he can be at times, seemed to have a genuine passion for the arts.

"Luna! You're up!" The music club leader called for the hazel-eyed girl to get on stage and perform.

Luna came onto the stage still wearing the simple clothes she wore during dance practice and began singing the ballerina's signature song while dancing on her tip-toes just like how a ballerina would. She certainly improved on her choreography and was able to make graceful turns and intricate poses while singing, which she was already quite good at.

' _Yes, I know the call of the swans, dreaming upon the lake.'_

Luna was able to perform several ballerina moves during the instrumental of the song from pirouettes to arabesques.

Cole observed the music-loving girl the whole time. If he hadn't known she was forced to practice with the unpleasant Griffin, he wouldn't have known she wasn't entirely happy with her circumstances. It wasn't all that different from the idols who smile through it all but are secretly angry and frustrated.

Then again, it's becoming a big problem with idols these days.

Cole still loved music and he'll love it until the day he dies but he can't deny he had issues with how so many people working in the music industry push themselves too far. Being the music devotee he is, he knew of so many cases of artists letting fame get to their heads, go to extremes like plastic surgery or selling out to maintain their success, or have it all collapse onto themselves and spiral into depression. The music industry isn't as glamorous as some make it out to be. That's probably why Cole wasn't too keen in pursuing a career in music for now, even if he can't live without his tunes.

And there's also that issue with his father...

Meanwhile, Luna finished her song and was greeted with applause. She observed several faces in the small crowd. Brad and Rumi seemed happy with her performance, Cole was… she can't really tell what he was thinking through his expression and can only hope it was positive, and there was… Griffin. He stared at her with that same salacious gaze he wore whenever they practiced together. She mentally shuddered but she was still aware that this could be a big step towards her dream career.

'Just see this through to the end and I'll finally achieve my dream.' The timid girl told herself.

'But what about the Secret Ninja Force?' Another part of herself argued.

Now Luna found herself stuck in yet another dilemma over her life as a kunoichi. She remained unsure if singing and dancing isn't all she's good for. The answer still seemed just as far out of reach as it was before she signed up for this ninja stuff.

Maybe she should quit?

But that could only drive the point further that she really can't do anything besides dream. Luna didn't want that either but she was potentially one step closer to making her lifelong ambition come true so there's that...

"Luna! Stop frowning like someone told you Santa isn't real! You still gotta perform with Griffin!" Brad reminded her.

The shy girl groaned, knowing this was to come.

'This is going to be a long-ass day...'

* * *

Scuffles between the Shark Army and the Secret Ninja Force have happened so frequently everybody began taking it in stride. The people of Ninjago City weren't all that surprised when both sides showed up and started beating each other up. Some even continued going about their daily lives like nothing unusual was going on.

And yet there was something else about today's skirmish that _is_ off...

"Where's the green ninja?" A little girl in the crowd observed.

Not all the ninja showed up on every encounter against the Shark Army but no matter who goes, the green ninja was _always_ there. Today, there was no sign of the ninja leader and everyone can tell, even amidst the chaos of the battle.

The red ninja and silver kunoichi in their mechs were accompanied by the white ninja and blue ninja as well as the teal kunoichi. It was strange not seeing the green ninja during any of the missions, even if he fucked up big time the last time Garmadon terrorized Ninjago City.

While the ninja in their mechs didn't have much trouble, the remainder of the team found themselves having difficulty trying to accomplish their mission.

The female Shark Army goon donning a starfish headdress took on the only female ninja without her own mech. The kunoichi clad in teal knew how to swing a mace but that alone won't protect her from the wrath of the Shark Army and Lord Garmadon. The female Shark Army member shot her bazooka at her opponent and the small ball unfurled to reveal a net and ensnared her. The kunoichi struggled to free herself while the enemy began dragging her presumably towards Garmadon's volcano lair.

"Let go of me!" The captive kunoichi futilely thrashed about in her makeshift prison but it was no use.

An arrow seemingly from out of nowhere flew towards the bundled up netting next to the Shark Army member's hand. The synthetic material broke down, giving its prisoner an opportunity to escape.

"What the -!?" The dark lord's underling looked around for the source of the arrow and of course, she was met by the icy stare of the bow-wielding white ninja who never missed any of his targets.

Meanwhile, the teal kunoichi took advantage of the brief shock the female goon was going through to crawl out of the net and tackle her down. Her teammate had no witness the catfight and was focused on fending off as many enemies as possible.

Several more Shark Army members pounced at the tall ninja all at once. Having no time to get another arrow ready, the white ninja resorted to fending them off by hand. He may know a thing or two about martial arts but he didn't have enough physical strength to defeat the enemies surrounding him. The blue ninja noticed his teammate's peril and tried to help. He dragged off a couple of enemies with his kusarigama but eventually, he too was overwhelmed by the Shark Army's advantage in numbers. The shy ninja was quickly taken down by the much stronger enemies and things were looking bleak.

The red ninja and silver kunoichi fared better on their mechs but there were still several features that need to be worked on such as...

'Warning: Fuel level is less than fifteen percent.' The AI in the Fire Mech alerted Kai on the shortage of energy. He never thought that such a powerful machine could use up so much fuel so quickly. He had to save some fuel for the trip back to the warehouse -

'Why am I thinking!? I gotta do something fast!' The red ninja interrupted his own thoughts and began plotting his next move.

"Nya! I can't use my mech for much longer! You're gonna have to keep going by yourself!" Kai spoke to his sister from the communication link installed in their mechs.

"Why me!? I'm running low on fuel too!" Nya talked back from within the Water Strider.

"Looks like we'll have to fight on foot!" The red ninja jumped out of the cockpit of the Fire Mech and swooped down on the Shark Army with his twin katana ready. His sister followed his example, leaving her own mech and attacking any enemies who can't escape the aim of her spear.

Despite their efforts, something went horribly wrong because the Hinata siblings found themselves on the receiving end of the Shark Army's wrath. Luck was _not_ on their side today and they too were taken down by Garmadon's minions. It was more humiliating than anything else in the world. The ninja and kunoichi were maladroitly dumped onto the ground and were surrounded by the dark lord's servants.

"Where's your precious green ninja now?" General #1 mocked the bruised and battered ninja.

The ninja remained silent, refusing to give the enemies any bit of information. Things may look bleak but even if they lose, they absolutely refuse to give Garmadon or his minions any bit of satisfaction.

"What, not gonna talk? I would've said you're all bark and no bite but you're not barking nor biting!" The Shark Army bragged.

The red ninja lunged at the Shark Army almost like he was actually trying to bite them despite his face being hidden underneath his mask though this only amused the Shark Army, who were already having a heated argument over what to do with them.

"We should bring them to Lord Garmadon and let him deal with the ninja!"

"That's too simple! We should give them a real punishment! Something that will scar them for life!"

While the Shark Army were busy squabbling, the ninja took advantage of their distraction and quietly sneaked away from them. The bickering lackeys were so busy arguing they remained utterly oblivious to their captives making their escape. They even remained unaware of the two mechs activating and leaving the scene. It was all way too easy but the ninja will escape at the expense of the Shark Army's dignity. After all, it's always the bumbling minions who swipe defeat from the hands of victory.

* * *

Lloyd didn't even bother to greet his teammates once they returned from their mission. He knew they still weren't in the mood to forgive him. Besides, they'll finally get some attention for a change. They'll probably want to take their sweet time raking in whatever fame they can get without him 'hogging' all the spotlight he never really wanted in the first place.

Not even if he wasn't as happy about it as he thought he would.

The returning ninja looked glum upon their return and the others knew why. The battle was broadcast live on TV the whole time and they also saw them getting beaten up by the Shark Army.

"Uh… you guys need any help…?" Cole gingerly offered some assistance to the beaten ninja.

"We're fine, thank you very much." Kai suddenly snapped at the earth ninja. With the way things are within the team right now, he wasn't surprised by the reply.

Nya was in no mood to talk. Being the self-admitted perfectionist that she is, she never took any kind of loss very well, even before becoming a kunoichi.

At least Zane, Jay, and Heather were willing to talk in a more approachable manner.

"We were outnumbered and the mechs had a couple of issues." Jay finally revealed what happened.

"Like what?" Lloyd asked the lightning ninja.

"The mechs can really guzzle up the fuel," Kai added, "I was using the Fire Mech for only ten minutes before the warning came up."

"It's a huge mech that was built for fighting and the Shark Army usually show up every couple of days. Of course that's gonna use up a lot of fuel. You're not driving a car." The green ninja said dryly.

"But we still have to consider how we'll be able to maintain a steady supply of fuel without anyone in the city suspecting us or face the risk of the mechs shutting down in the middle of a battle." Nya said.

"I can't do everything at once," Lloyd retorted, "And you're expecting a young teen to do it all. Aren't your expectations getting a bit too lofty?"

"Says the guy who's obsessed with his own daddy issues." Aria remarked.

"Shut up, Aria! You weren't there!" The green ninja snapped back.

"Are you _still_ talking about that? It's been a week! Let it freakin' go!" Nya exclaimed in exasperation.

"Whatever." The other ninja left to spend the remainder of their time avoiding Lloyd. Kai and Nya were getting pissed at how the others were still snubbing Lloyd over something long gone.

"Don't listen to those morons," Kai glared at them, "They aren't real friends..."

'Or if they're really my friends at all...' Lloyd was still uncertain of his relationship with the others but at least he had the Hinata siblings by his side… for the time being...

* * *

Jay wasn't sure what to make of spending time with Cole of all people for today's 'outdoor session'. He still felt nervous just standing next to the big guy. Knowing Master Wu, that's probably why he had the black and blue ninja paired up. Even to this day, he still feared what the buff ninja could do to him. He could crush him like a little cockroach if he annoy him the slightest bit.

"What?" Cole suddenly spoke, startling the freckled teen, "Say something."

Jay mumbled something but Cole couldn't make out what he was saying. The blue ninja kept fidgeting with his trademark scarf and generally acting like a spaz. The earth ninja thought of different ways to get the shy guy to open up. He might feel more comfortable if they talk about something he likes or is interested in...

"How are the mechs going?" Cole decided to talk to Jay about mechs.

"They're doing fine," For once, Jay said something to Cole without pausing or stuttering, "Lloyd and I are working on the issues with fuel consumption Kai and Nya told us about.

"And the other mechs?"

"Zane's mech is almost done and so is… your mech..." Now the blue ninja felt uneasy talking about the earth ninja's mech in front of the earth ninja himself.

"Anything you'd like to say about it?"

"It's going along pretty well. Lloyd and I figured out a way for it to stand while inactive. It wasn't easy with it having just one big wheel." Jay rambled on, not realizing what he was saying until well after he let the words fly from his mouth.

'You dumbass! You insulted Cole's mech in front of his face! Now you're _really_ gonna get it!' Poor Jay's mind was already filled with the nightmarish images of the nasty things Cole could do to him. He could beat him to an unrecognizable bloody pulp with all that brute strength or he'll tell the whole world of his secrets from how flustered he gets around Nya to still playing with his childhood toys, especially his bedtime buddy Mr. Cuddlywop.

"And how's Zane doing?" Cole changed the topic again.

Jay found himself wondering if there's something going on between Cole and Zane. They often spend their breaks together. At least they were usually seen close to one another and whenever they are, the earth ninja is usually leaning on the nindroid's shoulder. Then again, Cole often leans on the ninja time and again but it's always Zane he goes to and Jay couldn't blame him. As awkward as he is, the white ninja was as sweet as can be.

"Jay!" Cole's holler brought the lightning ninja back to reality.

"S-sorry! You were saying?"

"I was wondering how Zane's feeling."

"He's fine."

"And how does he feel about Lloyd and whether we should forgive him or not?"

"He keeps asking me about forgiveness and all that of stuff. I don't know why he's asking me when he could be asking Master Wu." He eventually responded.

"Since when did Master Wu ever give us a good answer?"

…

"Good point."

"It's already happened so I don't see the point in complaining about it, especially for so long. It's time to let go and focus on the more important stuff."

"I guess so… But..."

"But what?"

"If we take Lloyd's side, the others will get mad at us..."

"Stop worrying about what other people think," Cole said with a hint of frustration in his voice, which only intimidated the already anxiety-ridden Jay, "If you have an opinion, then the very least you can do is stick with it, no matter what anyone else says or think. There's only one kind of people worse than Garmadon and that's a sellout."

"Why do you believe that?" Jay asked.

"All I want is to live my life by my own beliefs so it irks me whenever I see people lying and being fake just for a little bit of validation. There's way to many of those kind of people in school and I don't want the team to end up the same."

"Even if they're genuinely mad at Lloyd?"

"If that's how they truly feel, more power to them. I've had enough of this stupid grudge."

"So that means you forgive him?"

"More or less," Cole shrugged, "All that's left is letting him know. What about you?"

"I… think I need more time."

"Fine."

The pair began their journey back to the warehouse. All the while, Jay thought about the things Cole just said to him.

Being very self-conscious doesn't mean he'll be fake or a sellout...

...Right…?

* * *

 **Looks like Cole's starting to come around. As for the others, you'll have to wait for the next chapter. Sorry for the torture. Anyway, please review.**


	77. Forgiven, Not Forgotten

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! The ninja are still pissed at Lloyd but they're starting to come around. We'll see who might forgive him and who won't in this chapter as well as a cameo from the dark lord himself. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 76: Forgiven, Not Forgotten

Zane felt weight being added to his shoulder but he didn't mind nor did he felt the need to search for the cause. Whenever they got to spend time together, Cole usually leaned on the ice ninja's shoulder. The black ninja was always friendly and accepted him for who he is. Even during breaks at school, the black and white ninja spent plenty of time in each other's company.

"So Zane, do you think forgiving Lloyd is the right thing to do?" Cole asked him.

"We must work in stable synchronicity if we are to fulfill our duties as ninja," The white ninja replied, "In order to achieve that, all of us will have to give consent in any decision that could decide the fate of Ninjago."

"I guess that means we both just want to focus on the important stuff."

"Yes. It is imperative to resolve civil conflicts in order to work together as one."

"You're also gonna forgive Lloyd?"

"I am not sure. I do not believe I can forgive someone if I still do not understand… forgiveness..."

"Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean you won't be able to do it. Even humans go on to live their lives without ever knowing the meaning of life. Even I don't know what it is."

Zane pondered over what Cole meant. He heard about the 'meaning of life' from his father more than a few times in the past. It also made him wonder if he even has a life. He does have his own opinions, feelings, and that sort of stuff but he couldn't figure out the source of it. They could merely be results of his programming but if they aren't… then where do they come from?

Maybe that's what the 'meaning of life' is?

This conversation with Cole made him realize there could be much more to himself than he assumed.

"Cole..." Zane uttered the black ninja's name.

"Yeah?" The dark-skinned teen encouraged him to continue.

"If any of us find out what the meaning of life is... I would like for us to tell one another."

"Sure… But why…?"

"This conversation made me realize that I was not built to know the answers to everything right away. I need to find the answers, _my_ answers, with my own experiences. There are so many things I wish to know, from the different kinds of emotions people go through to the lands that lie beyond the city."

"You and me both. I've thought about leaving the city once I'm done with school."

"Where would you like to go?"

"I don't really care. As long as people don't mind some random guy with his radio blasting rock music all the time, anywhere is fine."

"I see..."

"But there's still the issue with Lloyd. What do you plan to do about it?"

"Master Wu often told us to put the past where it belongs. Now is the time to do so."

"Yeah. I'm through with bitching about something that already happened. Guess that means you and I are on the same boat."

"We are standing within a building, not on a boat."

Cole chuckled at the android's naive ways. He was intelligent in so many areas yet unlearned in others. It was an unusual paradox but Zane was not a usual person.

Now all that's left is to make amends with Lloyd and move towards the future.

* * *

The ninja were back to training and yes, most of the team still avoided Lloyd. But Cole and Zane broke away from the group keeping their distance and approached the green ninja and the Hinata siblings.

"What do you want?" Kai said rather coldly at the pair.

"Kai, I know you're the fire ninja but you really need to chill sometimes." Cole retorted.

"Why? Our teammate's body temperature is stable right now." Zane replied.

"It's a figure of speech, Zane," Nya dismissed the nindroid's naivete, "Just get to the point."

"We no longer bear any ill will towards Lloyd. It is time to leave the past behind and work together for the future." The white ninja explained his and Cole's reason to make peace with their teammate.

"Is that _really_ what you plan to do?" The green ninja remained doubtful.

"Why would we lie?" The black ninja asked back.

"You sure you aren't doing it just to suck up to Lloyd so you can get _your_ mechs done?" Kai narrowed his eyes at the duo with mistrust.

"When did we say anything about mechs?" Cole argued back.

"We never discussed the mechs when we decided to move on from Lloyd's mistake." Zane added.

"You sure about that?" Nya interrogated them.

"Of course. We didn't really care about mechs. We just want to move on with our lives. I said what you want us to say. Happy?" The earth ninja grew exasperated but kept his cool.

"Fine. But if you turn your backs on Lloyd again, I'm gonna use you for my mech's target practice." Kai relented but not without threatening them.

"It would still be an honor to provide assistance with your mech." Zane replied, failing to understand what the red ninja really meant.

The guys and Nya seemed to be on good terms with Lloyd again but the others, mostly girls, still kept their distance from him.

"Is it just me or is this kinda sending a bad message?" Cole was aware that the team were still divided by not just opinions but also by gender.

"It's just you." Nya said coolly though the black ninja had a feeling she didn't really mean it.

"Perhaps I can have a discussion with Heather." Zane offered.

"Good luck with that," The sole kunoichi in the group scoffed, "Heather can be very opinionated."

"What is wrong with having opposing opinions?"

"Nothing. It's just the way she handles it sometimes.

"And the others?"

"There's also Aria being… Aria… As for Iris and Luna, I don't think they're the type to forget something bad for long..."

"Actually..." The purple kunoichi's meek voice spoke next to the ninja, throwing them off guard.

"Don't do that!" Lloyd yelled at Luna, which caused her to shrink back behind Cole as she always does.

"I… I was thinking about the things you've already done for the team..." The mousy girl said.

"Go on." The green ninja was willing to hear her out but still didn't trust her.

"You already built several mechs and if someone's going to get mad at you after that, I don't think it's a very grateful thing..." Luna started.

"Of course it isn't." Kai scowled, not trusting the kunoichi of sound either.

"And what are you trying to say?" Cole asked in a more benevolent tone.

"I just don't think it's the right thing to do… and..." The purple kunoichi still hesitated.

"Just say it already." Nya goaded her with exasperation.

"I guess I'm on your side, if that makes sense." Luna finally confessed.

Right after the shy girl made it clear which side she'll take, Jay also approached the group.

"You too?" The green ninja glanced at Jay, also distrustful of him.

"I was thinking the same thing as Luna..." The blue ninja spoke.

"Is that really what you believe?" Cole recalled his conversation with him. He didn't want the lightning ninja to side with the majority just to avoid being judged and he still felt the same for Luna. Betraying their real beliefs would be worse than remaining genuinely resentful of Lloyd.

"Yeah..." Jay answered, "Just as Luna said, Lloyd did a lot for us and messing up once isn't such a bad thing. I messed up on many inventions but I kept going."

"This isn't the same thing." Kai interrupted him.

"My point is that I don't think we shouldn't cut Lloyd off for one mistake. If he screwed up a lot, that's understandable but he didn't really mess up besides that one time. I think we should give him another chance and see how things go from here."

The group stared at the blue ninja for several moments before making their decision.

"I understand where you're getting at," Nya allowed the blue ninja to stay, "We should all focus on the really important issues and do something about them."

"That will leave only three team members that are still upset with Lloyd." Zane quickly glanced at Iris, Aria, and Heather.

"This isn't about taking sides," Lloyd remained as cynical as ever, "All that matters is to work together so I can get Garmadon out of my life forever."

"Calm down, Lloyd," Nya placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "It's still too early to let your daddy issues get out of hand… twice."

"Then quit acting like I don't know that." The green ninja swatted her hand away.

"Why aren't you training yet?" An elderly voice interrupted the moment.

The ninja flinched under Master Wu's presence. As knowledgeable as he was, he can be very strict and they can only imagine what kind of punishment he'll put them through but...

"I see that the team is mending itself back together. I'll let this one slide since it's important for all of you to work as one." The old teacher remarked before retreating back to his corner.

The ninja were relieved but also had to get ready for training. They'll have to deal with the remaining team members after this...

* * *

Zane and Heather sat together during lunch and the android was set on talking to his comrade about the still fragmented dynamics of the team.

"Please, Heather. There is nothing we can do anymore. We all must cooperate as one to put an end to Lord Garmadon's attempts to terrorize Ninjago City." The ice ninja pleaded Heather to overcome her resentment towards the green ninja.

"It's not something I can forget so easily," The teal kunoichi still dismissed Zane's efforts to reason with her, "I get that Lloyd's life is crappy but if he wants to do something about it, then the least she can do is not drag anyone else down with him."

"But as his comrades, we should help him."

"I don't know if he'll be able to get over his family issues. Not with the way he reacted."

Zane became more and more disheartened on how adamant Heather was with her petty grudge.

"Please understand that some people's family lives are not the same as yours. Besides that, we need to look forward towards the future, not backwards, or we will lose sight of what is truly important."

"And that is…?"

"We swore an oath to protect Ninjago from Lord Garmadon and we will have to work together so we can fulfill our vows and that includes working as one."

The teal kunoichi remained silent while the nindroid continued.

"We agreed to become ninja not just to protect those who cannot protect themselves but to also find out more about ourselves. We have yet to experience the trials and tribulations to come and there will be challenges that could entail even worse things than what Lloyd had done. If you will let one mistake change your opinion of him, it could lead to dire consequences. There may be more to him than that, not dissimilar to how there could be more to you than even _you_ realize."

"Really? Do you think you could say the same for yourself?"

"I believe so. I may be a robot but other from that, I am no different from other people. I do not know what lies ahead, what I want to do in the distant future, or even… what I am capable of..."

Zane's mind drifted to all the things his father and friends said about him being no different from any other people despite his inorganic body.

Is he really not all that different from humans?

Or is he simply going along what he wants to believe and not what he genuinely thought?

'Now is not the time to ask such questions. I need to help unify the team again.' Zane remembered his priorities and still tried appealing to Heather.

"Heather, please find it within yourself to give Lloyd one more chance. If you cannot do that, then the least you can do is consider the state of the team. You must not lose sight of what is truly important. Please think about it."

"Fine, but I can't promise you anything..." Heather finally relented though the white ninja knew it was far from over. It could take a long time before she makes her decision but he was willing to wait.

* * *

The ninja were on yet another raid. This time, Garmadon was back but piloted a different mech. This one was also made in the image of a massive shark and was bound to the ocean. Thankfully, the ninja also had a nautical mech on their side. The Water Strider delivered the brunt force of the ninja's side of the battle though the Fire Mech was no slouch either. With its humanoid build, the red ninja's large mech delivered a flurry of punches at the shark-shaped machine.

"What's gotten into you!? You should be cowering before me like last time!" Garmadon took note of the Secret Ninja Force's more proactive approach in their second encounter.

"Enough!" Garmadon's voice boomed from the shark mech that swiped the ninja's mechanisms away.

"Tell me where the green ninja is and I might spare you." The dark lord gave the ninja an ultimatum.

The four-armed man's only reply was silence, provoking his temper even further.

"If you're not going to tell me, then I'll look for him myself!"

"Oh no you don't!" The Fire Mech punched the shark mech right in the face with its flamethrower arm with the Water Strider not far behind. The water mech soon followed, squeezing the body as tight as it could with its six limbs, allowing the red ninja to continue pummeling the dark lord's creation.

While the green ninja was still mysteriously absent from today's mission, there was a surprise waiting for the Shark Army.

"Jay! Now's your chance!" Kai commanded the timid ninja.

"G-got it…!" Jay flipped on the controls in front of him and prayed nothing will go wrong.

The Shark Army were on the receiving end of a nasty surprise when an aircraft flew down and seemed to shoot something at them. They didn't feel anything except for the indescribable pain of electricity running through their bodies. The ones whose apparel were still wet were hit even worse.

The shy ninja now had his own mech which was as blue as his gi with many lightning rods sticking out of the wings. Within the cockpit shielded by a clear dome, Jay felt so many things piloting his Lightning Mech for the first time. He was nervous for obvious reasons but that's not all. He felt a strange sense of fulfillment flying a machine he designed himself as well as feeling he was important and capable of doing something that could make a big difference.

"Jay, don't get distracted! We still gotta deal with these guys!" Nya alerted him that it wasn't over yet.

"Sorry. I'm still new to this kind of stuff." Jay felt flustered despite it not being the best time.

"Just concentrate and we might be able to fend off Garmadon."

"Okay!"

While Jay remained airborne in his mech, the ninja without their own technological marvels fought on land. Cole, Aria, and Iris were left directly fighting the Shark Army though they were able to hold their own. The earth ninja smashed anything that couldn't escape the wrath of his huge warhammer while both of the kunoichi quickly slashed down their enemies with their blades.

Meanwhile, the Hinata siblings' mechs continued their assault on the shark mech with Garmadon still inside. The dark lord's mechanism struggled to fight against the Water Strider crawling all over it while spewing jets of water with extreme force, creating several dents. The ones that weren't caused by the water mech was created by the Fire Mech beating the large machine with its raw strength.

"My lord! We gotta bail!" The Shark Army accompanying Garmadon begged him to abandon his plan.

"Don't your dare turn your backs on me!" The dark lord ordered his underlings to stay, "I'm not gonna let any chances of victory go!"

"Warning: Structural pressure is at an extreme. Evacuation is mandatory." The AI even warned him but if there's anything truly terrible about the dark lord, it's his stubbornness. Even after paying the price for his arrogance by having the mech blow up, he still refused to admit defeat.

"This isn't over yet! I'll get you one day! You just wait and see!" Garmadon proclaimed even while he and his remaining servants spiraled into the sky until all that was left was a twinkle in their wake just like in that Bokemon anime.

"We'll see about that." Nya muttered inside the Water Strider.

The ninja expected the damage done to the beach from the explosion. Other than the massive waves that turned the shore into an ugly mess of wet sand and mud, there wasn't any serious harm and the inhabitants weren't too upset since they were cheering for them.

For once, everyone cheered for the other members of the Secret Ninja Force and not the green ninja. The ninja would've been content if not for the way they now have all the attention.

Looks like that's another reason to unify the team again ASAP.

* * *

Aria and Kai were hanging out again in the middle of Ninjago City. Since they weren't ninja right now, the problems of the Secret Ninja Force were left behind and all they have to worry about is what other interesting things are in store for them.

"...And I told my cousin Eric 'Listen here, pal! I'm not the one who got caught doing the Caramel Dance in a tutu in front of a mirror so you better watch your mouth!' Seriously, he did do that! I still have the video on my phone!"

The olive-skinned girl showed her teammate the embarrassing video of her cousin doing the outdated cringe-inducing dance. He even had the tutu she mentioned. The fire ninja briefly had flashbacks of his sister walking in on him doing the Weekend Whip and posting it online.

"I don't know if I should laugh or feel sorry for him." Kai remarked.

"Feel sorry? For what?" Aria was confused as to why the fire ninja pitied her foolish relative.

"For wearing that tutu. It doesn't look good on him nor does it match with his clothes."

"Are you saying you'd look better in a tutu?"

"No! Why would I want to wear something like that!?"

"I get it. You're jealous that Eric managed to look better than you in a humiliating video." The kunoichi of wind teased.

"What!? Are you out of your freakin' mind!?" Kai exploded, just as she expected, "Then why don't _you_ try posting a video of yourself dancing for everyone to laugh at!?"

"Whoa! I may not be smart but I'm not dumb enough to do that!" Aria argued back.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"If you think you're so smart, then tell me what one hundred divided by four is!"

"Twenty-five." Kai answered bluntly.

Aria stared at him speechless before she turned red in the face and…

She ran off like she saw a spider behind him (and there wasn't). Kai scoffed at how pathetic the orange kunoichi was and headed home. On the way back, the hot-blooded teen this nagging feeling there was something he really should've talked to the olive-skinned kunoichi about. Something very important, important enough to decide the fate of Ninjago…

'Damn! I forgot to ask her if there's hair gel on sale at the mall!' Kai mentally cursed himself.

Meanwhile, Nya felt a sharp pain in her head while working on her motorcycle. Of all the times for her 'Kai is doing something stupid' sense to act up.

* * *

As always, Karloff drove Iris to school on his way to work. The violet-eyed girl watched the world go by from inside the car. If no one had known about Garmadon's frequent attacks on Ninjago City, one may think it would be a great place to live but she knew better not only from witnessing his raids but also by taking part in it.

"Iris!" Karloff brought her attention back to the real world.

"Yeah?" His niece responded, proving she was listening.

"We haven't reached the school and you already look like your favorite shows have been cancelled."

"I'm fine, really. I just have a lot of things going on in my mind."

"I understand. There's a lot of things going on in the city and with Garmadon's raids, I have to do even more stuff at work. It's starting to remind me of the old days back in Almaz."

Karloff briefly relived memories of his childhood and adolescence. He learned how to really appreciate whatever he gets in life through those times. Too bad he can't say the same for...

"Garmadon may be making life hard in Ninjago City but at least the ninja are doing something about it. I can see why they're becoming popular with the locals." Karloff kept going, perhaps to get his mind off of certain topics that won't be good for his emotional health.

Iris felt every drop of blood in her body congeal and any capacity for speech leave her.

"I feel the pink kunoichi may be someone you would look up to," Her oblivious uncle continued, "She doesn't seem to mind wearing pink, just like how you're into Sweet Lolita fashion. My coworkers keep talking about spending so much money on ninja-related products for their kids. I don't know if I should feel left out or grateful you don't ask for ninja merchandise often. It's almost weird. Every kid and teen seems to demand them just like with that 'Cold' movie or whatever it's called a few years ago.

Now the pink kunoichi herself just wanted the earth to swallow her whole. Karloff kept talking about the ninja and she was stuck unable to say anything or else she'll break the ninja's vow of secrecy.

Karloff _finally_ noticed his niece was feeling uncomfortable though that would be an understatement to what's really going on inside her head.

"Is something wrong? You look a little pale." He remarked on her uneasy appearance.

"N-nothing…!" Iris quickly dismissed his concerns.

"Well would you look at that? We're finally here!" The kunoichi of metal pointed at the all-too-familiar building that is Ninjago High within sight.

"Have a nice day." The burly man saw off the dainty girl as if she were his own child once she got off in front of the school.

"See you later!"

All the ninja were unique and while everyone paid attention to the green ninja, there was something about the pink kunoichi that Karloff couldn't shake off. Her demeanor from the skirmishes he saw on TV was almost familiar but that's impossible. The Secret Ninja Force haven't been active for long and there's no other groups of vigilantes of heroes that have shown up in Ninjago City since the end of the Warring Era. Maybe she just reminded him of some of the people he met during those difficult times.

'Da. That's probably it.' Karloff brushed off the strange feelings of familiarity and carried on.

It's still too early to dig into the deepest darkest secrets of Ninjago.

* * *

 **Looks like there's only three left. I have many more plans for this story so stick around & review.**


	78. Zoo Tycoon

**Discovering Destiny**

 **After all the tension from the previous chapters, it's time for a quick breather as this chapter takes inspiration from the official 'making of' book of the Ninjago Movie. Kudos to those who know exactly which part inspired this chapter. Sit back, relax, & enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 77: Zoo Tycoon

Today was a day most people in biology class were looking forward to and since it biology was one of the core subjects of Ninjago High, that meant nearly the whole school will take part in it. Even waking up and going to school earlier than usual was well worth it for most of them.

The school arranged a field trip to the Ninjago City Zoo so the students can see the various species of animals they've been learning about in real life.

"Finally! I've been waiting for this day since last month!" Aria was already very hyped for the trip.

"And I can't wait to see the polar bears! Oh, and the elephants!" Heather was already planning on all the things she wanted to do once they get to the zoo.

While everyone was looking forward to the trip, a certain someone was being dour.

"What's wrong with you? I thought you'd be happy to get away from this place." Cole stared at Lloyd, who looked like it was just another hellish day at Ninjago High.

"But I'm still surrounded by the same people. What difference would it make?" The green-eyed cynic said in his usual sullen tone.

"Don't worry about them. We'll be with you the whole time." Kai vowed, being the fiercely protective hothead he is.

"We'll see about that..." Lloyd avoided eye contact and fiddled with something in his backpack.

"Settle down! We'll need signatures from your parents before you go." The teachers and staff gathered the excited teens into a bunch of lines to show them proof of their parents' approval.

One by one, the students turned in the documents, all signed by the adult figures in their homes. Iris couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive when she handed over the paper with Karloff's signature. She initially thought she'll have to get her real parents to sign them but luckily, the school and the law of Ninjago City considered him to be her legal guardian, which was good enough for the school and as long as he can sign the permission slip, the school staff approved. The violet-eyed girl sighed in relief when her teacher gave her the 'okay' to go on the field trip.

Last and least was Lloyd Garmadon, who kept his sullen expression since the beginning. He didn't even look too keen on going with the way he kept stalling.

"What are you waiting for?" Aria urged him to hand out his paper.

The pariah gingerly took out his permission slip and much to his teammates' surprise, it wasn't signed. From what they heard of Lloyd's mom, she was a very doting and protective parent, nothing at all like Garmadon. Why on earth would she not give her son permission to have even one nice day out if she loved him so much?

"Would you like to explain why you failed to get your permission slip signed?" The teacher asked.

"My mom just didn't have the time to sign it." Lloyd answered quietly. He was aware of how flimsy his excuse seemed but that's really what things were like at home as of late.

His mother's latest job had her working for many hours, working from early morning to late at night, thus she had very little time to spend at home or even with her child. She would have to leave at the same time as Lloyd and more often than not, comes back after he went to bed. As a result, Lloyd had very little chance to show her his exhausted parent the permission slip. As if that wasn't bad enough, Lloyd was the _only_ person who failed to get his paper signed.

"You do understand what this mean, right?" The teachers was disappointed but had nothing against it.

The students ended up cheering even more raucously as before, which didn't surprise the outcast. If the dad is the local man who ruins everything, than his son is the local teen who ruins everything too.

"Since the whole school will be going, I'll just head home. That way I'll be doing all of us a favor." Lloyd was rather dismissive of his misfortune.

"I'm sorry Lloyd, but you're going to have to stay here," The principal responded, "If any students fail to meet the requirements to go on any school excursion, they will spend the rest of the day attending school as they usually do. Even if you're the son of Garmadon, you're not exempt from the rules."

"It's just a blot of ink for a stupid piece of paper!" Kai argued, "It's not fair that you let a few squiggly lines decide if Lloyd gets to go on a field trip or not!"

"It is mandatory to have the consent of your adult figures before we do any activities outside of school grounds. It is one of the most important rules in the school system." The teachers reminded him.

"But isn't his life already shitty as it is!? And you not giving a damn isn't making it any better!"

"As long as Lloyd can't give the school a signed permission slip, he can't go." The staff repeated firmly.

"Just go!" Lloyd brushed off his few friends' attempts to convince the school in letting him come along.

"But Lloyd -"

"You wouldn't want me ruining it anyway." The green-eyed teen mumbled.

"You should get going. We don't want anyone to be late." The teachers guided the group to the buses.

Lloyd can do nothing but stand back and watch as the rest of the school getting onto the vehicles that will lead them to the single greatest day of the entire school year.

"I will procure a souvenir from the zoo for you if that will alleviate your loneliness." Zane offered Lloyd some comfort from the window of one of the buses.

"Whatever..." The green ninja sauntered off.

The forlorn nindroid stared at where his teammate stood for several moments until he returned.

"Hold up. If they have any, could you get me a chameleon plushie?" Lloyd changed his mind and didn't let the chance to have anything good come out of this predicament slip from his fingers.

"I will find one when I can." The white ninja was quick to oblige.

One by one, the buses left and Lloyd could hear the students inside cheering and even mocking him. He may be stuck with few remaining teachers and staff who also despise him but at least the jocks and popular bitches were gone.

"Before we get started with your classes, did you make sure to bring your own lunch? The staff at the cafeteria thought no one will be at school so they're not here today." The principal warned Lloyd _after_ everyone had left.

Lloyd would've declared this the worst day of his life but he wasn't usually one to press his luck.

* * *

Meanwhile, the students of Ninjago High were having a blast at the zoo, seeing all kinds of creatures who call the establishment home from the monkeys to the birds.

Well, almost everyone.

Everyone that is except for the Secret Ninja Force and it wasn't just because of Lloyd's absence. Even if they were enjoying themselves, the ninja who moved on from Lloyd's mistake hadn't forgotten about those who haven't.

Luna really wanted to talk to Aria and Iris about moving on from the past while they were visiting the Out in Outback area to see the marsupials but she had no idea where to start.

"Over there, you can see the kangaroos searching for food." The tour guide showed them the unique group of 'T-Rex deer' nibbling on some grass. The two kunoichi who hadn't forgiven Lloyd looked like they were really enjoying themselves and Luna felt reluctant to talk about such a touchy topic and ruin their good mood.

But time waits for no one. With the other students at a distance, Luna felt that now could be her one chance to do something for the team.

"Um… Can I talk to you… for a sec…?" Luna finally mustered the courage to talk to her comrades.

"Sure thing." Aria was willing to hear her out.

The kunoichi of sound pondered over where to start. She didn't want to be a party pooper but as long as there's a rift in the team, they won't be able to work together and fulfill their duties.

'But wait? Why am _I_ concerned? What am _I_ gonna get out of all this?' Luna pondered why she was so worked up over something she had very little thought about if not for joining the Secret Ninja Force.

"You know we're gonna train after this..." She tried to find a way to get her teammates to consider the idea of forgiving Lloyd without ruining their mood.

"We know." Iris said with a slight hint of exasperation.

The kunoichi of sound fell silent once again. She was already at a bad start

"I think we should talk with Lloyd after this." Luna gulped when the other kunoichi glared at her.

"Uh… He didn't get to go on the trip so… maybe we can tell him how it went to make him feel better?" The more the timid girl spoke, the more she felt like she shrank until she was as small as a cockroach.

"We'll see..." The kunoichi of metal said icily as the group headed for the next area. As for the orange kunoichi, she lingered for a bit to tell Luna what was on her mind.

"Wow. You're certainly digging at the bottom of the barrel, huh?" She quipped before following Iris.

'That certainly went better than I thought.' Luna thought sardonically to herself.

* * *

Zane was tempted to ask Heather if she made her decision on her stance with Lloyd but today was so peaceful as they observed the elephants the teal kunoichi really wanted to see. Pachyderms were very smart despite what some people assume. The massive beasts were so gentle yet intelligent with their calm demeanor and devotion to the juvenile elephants in the herd. While the students of Ninjago High were here to learn more about the physical biology of these diverse creatures, the ice ninja was more fascinated by their capacity for all kinds of emotions. The female of many species showed a motherly love and devotion to their young and when they live in groups, every member showed concern when one of them was in distress.

"Awww! Zane, look at that one!" The kunoichi of nature pointed at the youngest elephant heading for the small pond in the enclosure. The timid beast stared at its reflection upon the water but the closer it got to the water, the further its feet slid apart until the calf slipped and collided with the edge of the water. Faster than the blink of an eye, the mother came over the comfort her little one and the rest of the herd quickly followed.

"It's just too cute!" Heather gushed at the adorable spectacle.

"Yes. It is fascinating to watch all these different creatures live their lives like humans do," The ice ninja replied, "It is truly awe-inspiring to see all these diverse animals going through so many feelings. It is almost like… they are also human..."

"Well, humans are animals too," The kunoichi of nature said, "Too bad we're the only ones who do all sorts of terrible things with no remorse."

"That is an awful truth. There are news of crimes committed by humans once in a while. Even worse is that there are those who choose to be evil… like Lord Garmadon..."

"Zane, this is supposed to be a nice field trip, not a constant reminder of the bad things in the world."

"Perhaps you are right."

The nindroid continued watching the inhabitants of the zoo. While this trip was to help the students of Ninjago High learn more about animals, Zane learned another lesson. Humans were far from the only beings who'll need protection. All these creatures who also grow and learn many lessons in life must also be protected. There were also many animals who can't protect themselves and the ice ninja felt a strong sense of duty watching them live their lives just like humans.

He was now grateful to go on this trip not just to have some fun but to also discover another reason to uphold his duty to protect others.

* * *

During lunch break at the various eateries within the zoo, Jay finally found his chance to talk to Nya.

But that such a big opportunity was within his reach he now found himself getting cold feet.

The lightning ninja watched the silver kunoichi eating her chicken burger at the table several feet away from where he stood. Some teens opted to buy whatever food the zoo offered while others decided to bring some homemade lunches with them and Jay was part of the latter. It may be embarrassing but he still brings and eats the bagged lunches his mother makes for him whenever she had the time. It's yet another stark contrast between him and Nya. She's way too cool to do something like that. She'll probably laugh at him once she sees his lunch, tell the Secret Ninja Force and then the whole school, and he'll become the laughing stock of Ninjago City's teenage population.

The kunoichi of water eventually noticed her teammate staring at her.

"What? Don't stare at me like that. It's creepy." Nya bluntly told him.

"S-sorry..." Jay toyed with the bagged lunch in his hands.

"Come over and sit here so you don't have to keep staring." The tenacious girl scooted over to give the shy boy some space to sit. The blue ninja hesitated for a few moments but he didn't want to let such a rare chance slip through his fingers either. He rushed over and took his seat as quickly as he could.

Jay took out the contents of his bag and felt even more flustered as it was all childish fare. His food for the trip was a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich with the crust cut off, a tube of blueberry yogurt, a carton of apple juice, and a few oleo cookies. He expected Nya to make fun of him for having a meal more befitting of a kindergartner.

"It must be nice having your mom still making lunches for you these days." Surprisingly, Nya didn't say anything negative about Jay's babyish lunch.

"Doesn't your mom ever make you and Kai lunches?" Jay responded.

"She did back when we were in elementary school. Nowadays, she's really busy with work and doesn't have time to do it anymore."

"That's understandable..."

"Jay! Are you enjoying Mommy's lunch?" Jay felt his blood run cold when a sing-song voice butted in on his moment with Nya.

Much to the lightning ninja's chagrin, his mother volunteered to be one of the chaperones for the trip. That meant she had every opportunity to embarrass him in front of everyone at school, especially Nya and the other ninja.

'Please don't sit here. Please don't sit here. Please don't sit here.' Jay's mind repeated in a mantra.

And Lady Luck decided to spit in his face today. Edna seated herself at the pair's table and right at that moment, Jay wanted nothing more than to feel the sweet release of death.

"Hello, Mrs. Walker." Nya politely greeted the lightning ninja's mother.

"As you may know, I'm the one who made _this_ wonderful little treasure!" Edna boasted and held her son like a trophy.

"Mooooommm..." Jay groaned, already embarrassed by her over-the-top ways of showing affection.

"Don't be such a sourpuss, Jay-Jay," His parent cooed and pinched his cheeks, which only embarrassed him even further, "I'd like to know more about the kids who made the right choice to be your friend."

"Mom!" The freckled teen felt even more humiliated. Nya would probably feel insulted by his mom's usually bad choice of words.

"Don't worry. Our friends are cool." Nya seemed to get along with Edna just fine.

Jay sunk as low as possible into his seat.

And he thought Lloyd had it bad...

* * *

Cole watched with bemusement while Kai attempted to flirt with some female students in the Jungle Jamboree area… and failing.

"If I said you have a nice body, would any of you hold it against me?" The spiky-haired teen asked the trio of pretty girls.

"Yes!" All of them said at once and they almost fooled Cole into thinking Kai's lame pick-up lines may have actually worked and that the girls are really one of those three-headed dragons from fairy tales.

"Really?"

"No!"

The offended girls shooed away the hothead and got as far away from him as possible.

"That line always works like a charm," The black ninja started, "Because a charm never works."

"I'd like to see you try and do better!" Kai dared him to out-flirt him.

"Nah. I think I have too much self awareness to do something like that."

"I'm not letting you back out on our deal!"

"You didn't say anything about a deal."

"It's still the same!"

Cole quickly grew exasperated by Kai's overzealous attempts to woo the ladies.

"What do you think you're gonna get out of making a complete ass of yourself in front of every girl in Ninjago High?"

"How can any girl resist these looks?" The fire ninja's teeth shone with his cocky smirk while running his hand through his gelled up hair.

"The two hundred girls who already turned you down?" Cole asked dryly with stoic boredom.

"One hundred and ninety-seven to be exact."

"You remember the exact number of girls who rejected you?" Cole paused for several moments until he added, "I don't know if I should be impressed or feel bad for you."

"How many girls have _you_ tried to pick up?"

"Zero."

Kai gawked at his friend's nonchalant answer. Cole was considered one of the more good-looking guys in school (but not as good as yours truly) and there were some girls who gush over his strong features. Before he could say anything, the black ninja beat him to it.

"I'm not interested in relationships right now." The muscular teen said.

"When does this have to do with relationships?" Kai asked.

"Really? Flirting with a bunch of girls and now you're asking me what relationships have to do with it? Do you ever think about the big picture?" Cole asked again, this time with a hint of annoyance.

"Quit fretting over something that'll never happen! This is the present! We gotta live in the moment!"

"Did you already forget all those times Master Wu told us that actions lead to consequences?"

"Are you always such a party pooper?" Kai was getting irritated by Cole's overly cautious nature.

"If it means being more in touch with reality, then yes. Yes I am."

During the rest of the trip, some students wondered why Kai and Cole kept glaring at each other. The only reason why sparks weren't flying between their eyes was that this wasn't an anime. Whether that was good or not depends on what kind of people were watching them.

* * *

Lloyd was bored (and starved) out of his mind once the last day of his two-month detention sentence came to an end. Even watching paint dry would've provided him some form of entertainment.

"And don't forget to turn in your homework next week." The teachers finally dismissed him.

The green ninja didn't bother to say anything as he quickly packed up and left With all the buses being used to transport the students and chaperones for the field trip, Lloyd had no choice but to walk the lengthy trip back home.

At least the weather was nice -

BOOM!

….Aaaand it starts to rain.

The downpour of rain came just as suddenly as the loud thunder that preceded it. With his signature green hoodie already draped over his head, Lloyd only sped up his gait.

To rub even more salt on the wound, he happened across the buses heading back towards the school. He could even hear the students inside laughing and just having a wonderful time. As each bus drove by, the tires splashed dirty water on him. The soaked ninja started to reconsider going home. His mom was very busy at work and with so many working hours, she most likely won't be home now. It wasn't anything new to him. He just got his own spare key to the apartment since she started working.

Would he want to spend the rest of his already shitty day in maddening solitude before training?

Should he even bother going home?

His mother won't be back until after training's done so what difference would it make?

'Screw it!' The green ninja ran not towards his apartment but towards the ninja stronghold.

Finally, he was met with some familiar faces who he knew will not let him down as often as the teens who call themselves his friends.

"What brings you here so early?" Master Wu asked from the back of the warehouse. Next to him was Varjo, who had taken shelter from the rain.

"I don't want to talk about it." Lloyd refused to look at his uncle.

The old man sensed his relative will blow up if he tries questioning him. It will be better to give Lloyd some space before trying to talk to him about whatever happened. What the green-eyed adolescent needed for the moment was some nurturing and support.

"There, there. Let's get you dried up." Master Wu guided his nephew into the stronghold and allowed him to change into his dry green gi.

"I understand you don't want to tell me what happened but life isn't always fair." The old sage told the outcast while pouring him a cup of freshly brewed green tea after he got changed. He somehow knew his nephew was also hungry since he also set up a plate of rice crackers to eat with the tea.

"My life was _never_ fair to begin with." Lloyd accepted the small bit of comfort but still refused to speak of today's troubles which his uncle understood.

"Your life may not be the way you would like for it to be at the moment but it isn't all bad. You have a wonderful mother and a group of loyal friends. Even if it's not a whole lot, you should be grateful for any positive thing in your life. You never know when you'll lose them."

"It's a bit too late to say that. I already lost the trust of most of the team."

"Three to be exact."

"It's the same thing."

Master Wu sensed there's little else he could do for Lloyd's emotional crisis. But as family, the least he can do is provide support and maybe offer a way to replenish his mental energy.

"Try and do something you can enjoy or put your whole mind into. It could relieve you of some of the stress and anger until the ninja's training sessions arrive."

Lloyd soon went to work building the remaining mechs. It was one of the few methods he had to vent his frustrations and it usually works. All he had to do was fantasize the same mechanisms he's building crushing the skulls of the assholes who make his life a living hell, especially the dark lord.

And would it include the other ninja after what they did?

Lloyd was briefly astonished that he even fathomed the idea of hurting his allies…

...Well, more than he already did…

The green ninja wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He'll just have to wait for them to return from the trip to the zoo.

And Zane better come back with the chameleon plushie or heads will roll.

* * *

 **Sorry for all the Lloyd torture but it just isn't Ninjago without the green ninja suffering one way or another. So will the whole team finally forgive Lloyd? Stick around the find out & please review!**


	79. Team Discord

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Before we get started I wanna say… Wow! This story now has 200 reviews! I'm surprised this story is getting reviews at all with it being much slower than an old snail. Okay. Enough rambling. Let's see if the kunoichi will forgive Lloyd & the mechs will be finished on time. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 78: Team Discord

The ninja sans Lloyd were on their way back to Ninjago High from a fantastic field trip to the zoo. Even with the sudden storm and sound of rain hitting the roof of the buses failed to ruin their mood. That might be because some of them haven't forgotten about the poor guy who couldn't come with them. The Hinata siblings kept wondering what Lloyd went through while they were at the zoo. It most likely wasn't anything spectacular and they still felt he should've gone on the field trip with them, signature or not be damned.

Too bad there's no changing the past and they have no choice but to wait until it's time to train to give him any consolations.

Nya gazed at the little drops of rain sliding down the window. When she was little, she imagined each of them were on a race to see which one reached the bottom first. The imagination is truly a powerful thing, allowing anyone to see the mundane as something even more grand. Sometimes, whenever the wheels of the bus speed through the occasional puddle, rainwater would spray the windows.

The kunoichi of water could've sworn she saw someone familiar when the tires spun on the puddles, splashing up dirty rainwater and most likely drenching that person.

"What the…?" Nya pressed her face against the window to get a closer look but it was too late.

"Did you say something?" Kai peered over, trying to see what caught his sister's attention.

"I thought I saw someone."

"Like who?"

"Never mind. My eyes were probably playing tricks on me."

The Hinata siblings chatted about the trip to the zoo during the rest of the journey back. With so little time between the time they get back to school and when training begins, they just wanted to go home and kick back for a while. The same can be said for the others as they also headed home.

"Aren't you gonna work at the Petite Corner?" Cole asked Zane as he accompanied him for the journey back to his apartment.

Fortunately, the nindroid sensed it was going to rain by reading today's meteorological properties and bought an umbrella which he shared with the earth ninja for the walk home.

"Because of the field trip, I was given a day off. However, to make up for my absence, I will work extra hours next week." The white ninja answered.

"That's understandable. So how did you feel about the trip?"

"I am grateful to have gone on this excursion because I now know more than ever why I must protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"You always seem to think about your duties. That's not a bad thing but do you ever take a moment to think this is what you _really_ want?"

"What I… want…?"

"Even after we stop Garmadon and save Ninjago, what do you want to do with your life?"

"The concept never made itself prominent in my thought processors before."

"There's gotta be something you want to do, not just because of your job, programming, or whatever. For example, do you wanna keep working at the cafe once all this ninja stuff is done?"

"I do not know… I am sorry..."

"Stop apologizing so much. There's a bunch of things going on in your life that isn't your fault."

"Now I wonder the same thing for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You asked me what I truly want in life. Surely _you_ have something you really want. There might also be some type of purpose that awaits you."

"Me? No! No, no. I don't have much going for me." Cole chuckled mirthlessly.

"What about a career in music?" Zane suggested, "You always enjoy listening to your radio."

"As much as I love music, I don't think a professional career in that sort of subject is for me although I have thought about being a DJ in the past."

"A disc jockey? A lot of physical coordination with the hands will be required to operate the turntables but it may allow you to be creative with many different melodies to mix together. Have you made any unique numbers?"

"I try but..."

Zane saw Cole's laid-back expression shift into one of a forlorn type of sadness.

"My dad… He wouldn't want me to have a career in _that_ kind of music..." Cole hated the very concept of thinking about his parent but he

"Why not? Should fathers not support their children's choices?" Zane had trouble comprehending the idea of a father not being… a good father… except for Garmadon with Lloyd. It's most likely because of the strong bond he shares with his own dad and the love they have for one another.

"Not _my_ dad. All he wants for me is to be his clone."

"As his offspring, you do share much of his genetics."

"Not that kind."

"Then why do you say he wants you to be his clone?"

"He was a member of a barbershop quartet. I don't have anything against that kind of music. It's just the way he keeps forcing me to follow in his footsteps. I want to choose my own path and just be who I am, not have everything planned out for me. Besides that, we just can't get along. He's always a snob looking down on anyone different from him in the slightest. I guess that's the reason why I decided to be friends with Lloyd. I know what it's like to have a dad who makes your life miserable."

"I am sorry but… I do not understand..." The ice ninja said, "I never had this type of relationship with my father. I also feel the same for Lloyd. I know the pain of discrimination but not that of having a bad father figure. I do not know how to be of assistance in this subject."

"You don't have to and I don't wanna drag you into _my_ daddy issues."

"Even if I fail to understand, I do not believe you deserve to have a parent who does not support you. No one does."

"Try saying that to Lloyd. By the way, we're gonna have to go training soon."

"Indeed. What he may need for the moment is some reassurance. Also..."

"Now what?"

"As your friend... I will support your decisions as well as the others'. If you do plan on pursuing a career in music, I would like to listen to what kind of melodies you will make."

Cole was surprised that Zane would say something like that. Part of him doubted it was sincere and it was just his compulsion to side with his comrades.

"Is that really what you think?"

"I do. I feel the same for Heather being content with her career in Blossoming Memories. I also want for Jay to find a career in inventing. What I want is for everyone important to me to feel happiness."

"And what do _you_ want to do?"

"I... do not know. But as my father and Master Wu said, that is the beauty of it. We do not know what lies ahead and to find that out is to live."

"If you do find out… I'll support you too."

"I truly appreciate that, Cole."

Cole felt a strange sense of warmth emanating from the core of his being and little did he know Zane felt the same and was just as confused. This sensation could be one of the many things they must find out for themselves in the future. Now that they were at the entrance of Dr. Julien's apartment, it was time for them to part ways.

"Will you be fine out in the rain by yourself?" Zane remained concerned for his friend's welfare. With nothing to shield him from the elements, he could risk catching a cold.

"Don't worry about me. I'll see you later." Cole left before the nindroid could offer anything that may provide shelter from the rain.

The black ninja was soon soaked as he made his way back home. He didn't even acknowledge his dad or his complaints the moment he stepped into the mansion and made a beeline for his room. Even if he was a good friend, Zane won't truly understand his situation. It wasn't that he was ungrateful. It's just that the nindroid was such a sweet person and he didn't want to drag him or anyone else into his issues that he must deal with himself.

At the same time, he still felt the strange warmth even while he's all alone.

He knew the answers won't come to him for a long time but he wanted to find out as soon as he can.

* * *

It was that time again and the ninja knew exactly where to go. The big warehouse that served as their base of operations was soon within sight and they hurried over to get away from the rain. Once they arrived, the teens were surprised to see Lloyd already at the stronghold building the mechs. The green ninja seemed wholly invested in building the mechanisms and his comrades couldn't tell what's going on in his mind… and they're most likely better off that way.

The ninja weren't sure if they should talk to Lloyd or not. He did miss out on one of the greatest days of the school year and he deserved either some comfort or time alone to let out some steam.

"Give him some space." Master Wu answered before they could ask anything.

Lloyd was not dumb at all. He knew exactly when the ninja arrived, he just didn't bother talking to or even acknowledge them. It wasn't their fault for being allowed to go to the zoo but if they keep acting like it is, then it will be.

Zane felt slightly nervous when Lloyd pointed his vivid emerald eyes towards him. The nindroid did as his ally requested but wasn't sure how to deliver the awful truth to him.

"Did you get the chameleon plushie?" The green-eyed human reminded the ice ninja of his promise.

The sense of unease Lloyd detected in the white ninja's glowing eyes made it clear to him he didn't. As if he hasn't faced enough disappointment already.

"I am sorry but I could not find a chameleon plushie in any of the souvenir shops at the zoo." The ice ninja apologized for what little good it will do.

The green ninja let out a small 'hmph' and went back to working on the mechs.

"That certainly worked out well." Heather whispered in Zane's direction.

"It did?" The naive nindroid was as oblivious to sarcasm as ever.

"Don't be like that, Lloyd. We'll make it up to you." Cole attempted to console the green ninja.

"How old do you think I am? Four?" Lloyd was getting annoyed by all the babyish pandering.

"No. I'd say two or three." Iris retorted dryly.

"Strange of you to say that with the way you dress."

"Now, now. Settle down." Nya pushed the two teens apart before things could get ugly.

"Lloyd, don't ever take your friends for granted. I told you before, you should be grateful for what you have, no matter how much or how little it is." Master Wu also stepped in.

"Yeah, yeah. You told me that a million times. Can we start training and get this shitty day over with?"

"After I make sure you never forget your lesson."

"How can I forget after all those times you've said it to me? I swear, you must be a broken record." The green ninja said flatly.

Master Wu's only response was a stoic gaze at his nephew. Teenagers can be very defiant because of the hellish phenomenon that can only be known as puberty, where they're no longer children but not quite yet adults. These young teens have a long way to go before they can truly become adults and if all the squabbles between them were any indication, Wu will need all the luck he can get.

* * *

The next day marked another milestone for the Secret Ninja Force. Lloyd would've considered it a big achievement but he was still upset over his terrible luck yesterday. Still, the rest of the team stared in awe at his latest feats.

The Ice Tank and Quake Mech were finally complete. Now there were only four more mechs to build as well as being closer than ever to having a chance at getting rid of Garmadon for good.

The ninja, especially the black and white ninja, stared in awe at the brand new mechs, already wanting to explore their potential.

"Shall we test out our mechs?" Zane suggested.

"Sure," Cole shrugged, "You can go first if you want."

The nindroid was the first to test out the capabilities his Ice Tank had. His optics scanned the controls, buttons, and such, gathering data on each function. Having had direct involvement in the construction of his mech, the white ninja already knew a lot of about his mech's function. Not only that, but due to being another mechanical construct, Zane was able to directly connect into the system, allowing him to become an interface for the Ice Tank itself. The first thing the white ninja wanted to test out was the cannon fueled by the diamond-shaped tank of freon cells situated behind the cockpit.

'Ice cannon charging.' His spoke but not out of his own volition as he connected himself to the mech.

Because this his first time using the Ice Tank, Zane still had yet to fully understand its functions. Before he could command it to, the ice cannon shot an icy cold blast.

'This was not supposed to happen!' The nindroid was astonished by the sudden mishap. He sensed a forty-five percent chance of something going wrong. He also sensed the temperature outside drop but it was to be expected with it being the _Ice_ Tank.

"I apologize. I will remedy this mistake as efficiently as I can." The ice ninja tried to appease his allies.

Zane was greeted only by silence, which made it clear that something wasn't right. He turned off the connection with the Ice Tank and emerged from the cockpit to see what's wrong. Turns out he ended up freezing everything within the mech's ten-foot radius.

Including the ninja.

There can only be one word to describe this scenario.

"...Oops..." Zane heard many people say it in the aftermath of something going completely wrong and this is pretty much one of those times.

"Mistakes are to be expected when trying something new for the first time." For a moment, Zane was confused over how Master Wu was able to speak if he was frozen. Except that he wasn't caught in the Ice Tank's frigid blast. Wu knew better than to stand so close to a mech on its test run and remained in the furthest corners of the warehouse.

"I am glad you are alright." Zane was relieved that he detected his teammates' vital signs which were still active despite them being trapped in ice.

The frozen ninja can do nothing but dart their eyes about within their icy prison and if they tried, they could barely manage to make any noise at all.

Kai attempted to say something when Zane looked at him but the only sounds he could make were a bunch of croaks and grunts. The ice ninja had a feeling the translation would _not_ be child-friendly and was grateful he didn't try to translate the fire ninja's mumbles.

"Kai, you can figure a way out for yourself. You are the fire ninja, after all." Master Wu quipped at the frozen hothead.

Crick… Crick…

Zane picked up the sound of ice splintering from where Kai stood. The ice around the fire ninja began breaking down and the android saw the human's fingers twitch ever so slightly. Sensing the white-hot rage that was melting the ice, the white ninja's anxiety levels rose significantly in mere seconds. Only fate could save him once he's free.

Larger cracks bloomed and chunks of ice were starting to fall off. Zane prepared himself for the worst when the fire ninja freed himself and...

* * *

Lunchtime in Ninjago High was one of the few times the ninja can get together outside of training and Kai took advantage of the chance to convince the remaining kunoichi to let go of their petty grudge.

"When are you gonna stop giving cliché speeches of friendship and forgiveness?" Aria was starting to get pissed at the red ninja's constant pestering.

"When you decide to stop being a bunch of thots." Kai snapped back.

"Okay! Fine! We'll let it go! _Now_ will you leave us alone!?" Heather finally lost her temper.

"Not unless you really mean it!" Apparently, it wasn't good enough for the red ninja.

"Then what will it take to have you stop bothering us?" The orange kunoichi was also exasperated.

"How about what happened to Zane yesterday?" Kai asked venomously.

The two kunoichi gulped, remembering what the fire ninja did to the poor nindroid for freezing them by accident. What he made the ice ninja go through was unspeakable and the memories sent shivers down their spines just reminiscing over them.

"Okay. Maybe we've been putting it out of proportion. We'll just drop the whole thing and move on." Aria suggested.

"Yeah," Heather added, "It's no use moping over what can't be changed."

"I'm not buying it," The red ninja remained as stubborn as ever, "I'll only accept it if you really mean it and you don't."

"You know what? I don't think it's us that's causing the problem! It's you!" The kunoichi of wind glared at Kai and jabbed her finger at his chest accusingly.

"Me!? How's it _my_ fault!?" The spiky-haired ninja was flabbergasted by his teammate's assumption.

"Trying to make a decision over something so big is already bad enough but the way you keep nagging us makes us _not_ want to let it go!" The teal kunoichi argued.

"But you're the ones who wouldn't! You keep acting like Lloyd murdered your freakin' cats!"

"Then stop treating us like we're worse than shit!"

The two kunoichi and sole ninja were locked in a staring contest for what seemed like an eternity.

"If you do anything to Lloyd, I _will_ do something even worse than what happened to Zane." Kai finally relented… for now.

The kunoichi knew they were just lucky that the fire ninja let them off the hook.

Now that only leaves Iris and seeing how she is at times, she might be the most difficult case...

* * *

After the Ice Tank's disastrous test run, the ninja kept their distance as Cole got inside the Quake Mech to test it out. True to his love of music, the cockpit had a turntable acting as the control panel and the earth ninja was already in the mood to show several neat moves to go with the catchy beats.

"Come on! Do something cool!" Iris urged her teammate to test out his mech like an excitable child.

"Remember Cole, this is a test run. You don't have to utilize the full extent of its power." Wu gave yet another piece of advice before the black ninja can get started on his mech's very first test run.

The Quake Mech's arms moved in accordance to the directions the earth ninja rotated the records. He also used the equalizers to manipulated the intensity of the arms' attacks. Above all else, it also plays music and the buff ninja already mixed some tracks and was beginning to lose himself to the beat. The woofers on the mech's shoulders vibrated with each thud of the bass. The ninja were blown away by the sheer intensity of the massive volume.

"Cole! Turn it down!" The ninja complained but their voices were drowned out by the intense volume of the bass and the earth ninja was already getting a bit too carried away.

Meanwhile at the fishing docks at the edge of the city...

"What the hell is that noise?" Some of the fishermen heard a constant low thumping noise like that of a nightclub rave number.

"Beats me," Others shrugged it off, "It seems to be coming from that old warehouse nobody uses but that's impossible. Nobody significant uses it and nothing ever goes on in there."

"You're probably right."

Back at the warehouse, Cole continued testing out the Quake Mech while his comrades tried not to go deaf from the intense beats he was dishing out.

"That's way too loud! We'll be discovered!" Lloyd yelled at the top of his lungs so he can be heard.

"That will be all for now." Master Wu finally put an end to the earth ninja's cacophonous test run.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." The black ninja sheepishly apologized.

"Power is one of the biggest temptations in this world. Garmadon already gave in to it and I wouldn't any of you to suffer the same fate." The elderly mentor warned his naive apprentices.

Now that Master Wu had his moment, Cole checked on his teammates. Other than the horrible case of tinnitus that plagued them, they were okay.

"Cole, I don't know how to say this but..." Luna started. The black ninja expected her to scold him.

Instead...

"That... was... awesome!" The music-loving kunoichi squealed, "I can't wait to hear more!"

Cole coolly accepted her compliment. At least there was one person in the team who appreciated his taste in music.

* * *

 **Now that leaves only 4 mechs & 1 kunoichi to forgive Lloyd. You'll have to wait for the next chapter to see how that will devolve. Again, thank you all so much for making this story reaching 200 reviews. Hope you all will have a Happy Thanksgiving & I'll see you again later.**


	80. Looking Ahead

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hi guys! Hope you had a good Thanksgiving & I'm back with another chapter! Here, we'll see if Iris will let go of the past & Garmadon might show up again so read on!**

* * *

Chapter 79: Looking Ahead

Zane and Heather were paired together again for another ninja outing. The kunoichi of nature headed straight for the glen where the Northern Grace flourished. Much to her relief, it was still there and she was careful not to fall into any traps like the first time.

"I have never seen anyone as happy as you when you first saw the Northern Grace." Zane remarked.

"I can't help it, I suppose," The teal kunoichi chuckled shyly, "I have this special affinity for flowers."

"Yes. The natural world does possess a certain beauty."

"But some man-made things are great too..."

Heather's gaze lingered on Zane. The nindroid always had an otherworldly feel to him but it was only until after joining the Secret Ninja Force did she really begin to notice it and it wasn't just his looks. He always watched out for the welfare of all living creatures, treated every single moment of his life like a blessing, and was just… just...

The kunoichi of nature couldn't figure out for the life of her what was it about the ice ninja that drew her to him. He was inarguably the sweetest person she has ever met but it wasn't the thing that made her so… connected with him.

But maybe it wasn't something about _him_ but the reason was something within _herself_.

"Heather? Is something amiss?" Zane detected the unease in her expression.

"I-I'm fine." The teal kunoichi stammered. She kept a calm facade while fretting over what it was about herself that made her feel this strange sense of attachment to the nindroid. This time, she didn't want to sit back and let the answers come to her. She'll get them herself.

"Actually, I'm not," Heather decided to be honest with her feelings, "I don't know if it's fate alone that brought us together. I usually don't believe in outside forces arranging people to meet so I'm at a loss of answers as to why we're… so… so… I know exactly how I feel but I just can't find the right words..." The teal kunoichi couldn't for the life of her figure out how to convey her thoughts.

"Can you please explain more?" Zane persuaded his ally to continue.

"All I know is that I've only begun to feel this way some time after we formed the Secret Ninja Force. I feel it welling up from inside me and even now, I don't know what it is..."

"Perhaps you can describe it to me."

"I'm not sure if I can explain it clearly but… it's like… having you around… makes me happy… No… It's not that simple… I'm also happy with my friends and family but there something different when we're together… I still don't know what it is… All I know is that it's there… and it may continue to grow..."

Zane took several moments to process everything Heather told him and came to a conclusion.

"I am afraid I cannot help you," The white ninja answered with uneasy honesty, "I do want to help but I cannot understand what you are going through at the moment. I am sorry."

Heather had a feeling the ice ninja would say something like that. Being an android, he didn't exactly know what to say or do all the time. He wasn't cold like ice yet he failed to grasp some concepts that would've made it all the more contrary to his assigned element. It wasn't a favorable trait to have but people aren't perfect and Zane's a person no matter what his origin.

Though she still couldn't figure out what this feeling was, she can't deny it and that the answers to this sort of issue never come when she expects them to. As understanding as she was to this cruel fact of life, it was starting to really try her patience.

* * *

With Iris as the sole member of the team who still hasn't forgiven Lloyd, the green ninja felt it was all up to him to convince her to move on. She was the first person to give him a chance and the least he could do in return is reach out to her himself. The main problem is how he can get her to do so much as sit three feet from him at most. His friends did offer to talk to her but he felt this was something he must do alone. She had approached him by herself when they first met and he'll have to do the same with her now.

"There's no way Iris will come up here knowing this is where you always go during lunch." Aria said.

"Iris, there's something we need to show you." Cole beckoned her to follow him and the gang.

"What is it?" Iris let curiosity cloud her judgement and she followed them up the stairs leading to the rooftop of Ninjago High.

"Wait. Lloyd isn't up there is he?"

"You'll see..."

The violet-eyed girl continued following her teammates until they were out on the rooftop. The view was scenic as always. Iris almost forgot about all the cares in the world until her eyes fell on a certain someone. The moment she caught sight of Lloyd, the pink kunoichi made a beeline for the door where any form of sanity awaited her. Unfortunately, the rest of the ninja expected it and slammed the door shut before she could make her escape.

"You freakin' assholes! You tricked me!" Iris tried kicking down the door but the others were pressed against it from the other side.

"I understand how much you want it to but the past can't be changed." The green ninja tried to find a not-so-awkward way to start what will inevitably become a very uncomfortable conversation.

As expected, the kunoichi of metal continued giving the outcast the cold shoulder. She wouldn't even look at him. Lloyd was getting annoyed by her obstinate attitude and he wasn't going to put up with it any longer.

"Fine!" Iris shouted almost all of a sudden, "If you want me to deal with Lloyd, then so be it!"

The ninja lingered on the other side of the door, listening to her footsteps fade as she walked further away from them. They still held on in case the pink kunoichi tries anything…

And they were right.

Iris ran back at the door, screaming like a banshee. She pounded, kicked, and even threw herself at the door in a last-ditch effort to weasel her way out. The ninja had to use all the strength they had just to keep the poor door from falling apart. All those training sessions have clearly granted the kunoichi of metal quite a bit of physical strength to go with her stubborn will.

"Lloyd, do something! We can't hold on much longer!" Jay whimpered while struggling to maintain his grip on the door handle.

"Let me out! Let me out!" The violet-eyed roared and beat the door with all her might.

Lloyd was tired of the schism that kept the team from being wholly united and finally made a stand.

"Iris, please. You can't keep living in the past." He tried reaching out to Iris.

"And you can't keep letting your daddy issues get in the way of everything." The pink kunoichi snapped back, completely forgetting about trying to escape.

"You got me there." The green ninja replied after several moments of stunned silence.

"I'm not even gonna bother. You can bitch and moan all you want but don't drag us down with you."

Lloyd had finally reached the end of his rope with Iris' distrust.

"You don't have to forgive me, okay!?" The green ninja had it and marched up to her so he was right in her face and she won't be able to dismiss what he had to say, "All I want for you is to stop being such a bitch and move on from the past! I know what I did was incredibly stupid but there's nothing anyone can do about it anymore! Why can't you just give it a rest and focus on the really important issues!?"

The pink kunoichi's gaze was as cold as the steel she was associated with and it remained that way for several minutes when she came to a conclusion over if she can move on.

"I don't think I'll ever forgive you..." She began to speak.

Lloyd felt downtrodden yet not surprised but what Iris had to say next caught him off guard.

"But you're right. The past is in the past. I can't keep my head stuck looking backwards if I want to at least feel some peace whenever I'm stuck with you and that will be all the time." She continued.

"True..."

"Lloyd, I was willing to see you for who you really are and after everything that's happened, the least I can do is give you one more chance. I've already gone too far to go back on my word from that day. I'll move on and maybe learn more about not only you but everyone else… and… myself..." Iris trailed off, reminiscing over all the times she's been shunned and judged for what she wore. In a way, she wasn't entirely different from the green ninja. But she may not know as much as herself as she thought. Who is she besides that weird girl wearing doll clothes?

She certainly didn't want to be stuck wondering forever and if she really wants to find answers, then she'll have to give others the chance to show who they really are, including Lloyd.

"I haven't forgotten that either," Lloyd spoke, "You're right. There's a lot more to myself than I like to believe. The problem is if knowing will be for the worse. I'm still concerned I will end up just like my… I mean… Garmadon..." The green ninja clutched his chest where his pitch black mole was, a permanent reminder of his blood ties with the evil warlord.

"It's just one of those things we'll have to wait and see." The pink kunoichi shrugged.

"I don't know if I'll be a sane man by the time I get the answers..."

"Before we head back, there's something else I need to say to you."

"What is it?"

Now it was Iris' turn to get in Lloyd's face and her cold stare pierced right into his very soul.

"If you screw up again, I will _never_ let you get away with it." The girly kunoichi glowered and kept her eyes on him for many moments before she finally backed off.

Lloyd can't guarantee he'll do something stupid again… or if the others will but with someone like Kai or Jay, it's only a matter of time before something happens...

* * *

The Secret Ninja Force watched yet another breaking news of Garmadon's latest conquest for Ninjago City, or more specifically, his sabotage of all the TV stations in the city.

"You think I just waltz in and be all bark and no bite but you're wrong! I _will_ take over Ninjago City and you'll all bow before me! I'm gonna start with your precious media!"

The ninja knew there was more to come despite the dark lord cackling like he already won.

"Oh, what's that? You think you can stop me?" The four-armed warmonger paused and asked as if he was right in front of the ninja.

"Hell yeah!" Aria talked back as if the dark lord could hear her.

"Then go ahead! Try and find me if you can!" Garmadon taunted the ninja from wherever he lurked.

The ninja felt that the dark lord's threat was a little anticlimactic. Everyone knows he stays cooped up in the artificial volcano he calls home.

"Should we go after him?" Iris asked.

"Nah," Cole dismissed his teammate's concerns, "This isn't the first time Garmadon hacked into the TV networks. They'll get back the connections and he'll forget about it like he always does."

"What? Thinking I'm gonna give up? Well think again!" The dark lord boasted, "I'm gonna keep every last network under my hold unless you try and stop me! That means if any of you get mad for missing your favorite episode of Hands of Fate or My Little Oni, blame the ninja!"

Lloyd felt sudden shivers up and down his spine. He can feel the whole population of Ninjago pointing their fingers at him but not because of his title as the green ninja but simply for being the dark lord's equally terrible spawn.

"Now what?" Iris asked.

"Looks like we have no choice but to confront Garmadon again..." Heather said with uneasiness.

"Really? And so soon?" Aria trembled at the thought of seeing the four-armed warlord again.

"Another confrontation with the dark lord is inevitable. It would be wise to accept that time marches ever onward instead of trying to swim against the current." Zane tried to offer some advice.

"Great. Now Master Wu's overly cryptic metaphors are rubbing off on him." Kai rolled his fiery amber orbs at the ice ninja's mannerisms.

"I'm more concerned if _he_ will go berserk..." Jay pointed at the green ninja who was eerily calm during the whole broadcast. They couldn't tell what he was thinking but they knew it can't be good, thus they were reluctant to approach him.

"Well _someone's_ gonna have to break it to him..." Nya said.

"But who's crazy enough to do something like that right now?" Luna asked.

"Not it!" Almost everyone proclaimed as they tapped their nose.

All that was left was Cole and Zane...

"Not it." The white ninja mimed his human comrades despite not understanding why they were doing this. He just wanted to fit in. And that left Cole as the one who must talk to Lloyd and face his wrath.

"You can all go to hell." The earth ninja was _not_ happy about this but what other choice does he have?

The buff ninja took several steps towards his teammate and stopped when he was right next to him.

Now all he had to do was talk about the dark lord and hope that he'll get out of this one alive.

"Lloyd, do you think you're ready to face Garmadon again?" Cole had to ensure his ally was mentally prepared for the unavoidable second encounter with his evil dad.

The silence that answered back only made it all the more unnerving. The green ninja did nothing but stare at the screen that was now turned off. He may look calm on the outside but his teammates knew better than to judge a book by its cover. The tension within him leaked over to the outside world and anyone could cut it with a dull butter knife. It felt like eons before Lloyd finally said anything at all.

"What do you think?" The green-eyed youth sardonically replied with another question. The muscular ninja didn't know how to answer and if he should answer at all. Either a yes or no would have terrible implications for the poor guy.

"It doesn't matter," Lloyd spoke so Cole won't have to, "I should've known Garmadon was gonna pull this kind of shit out of his ass sooner or later. Let's go."

"Hold it," Master Wu stopped his students before they could serve themselves to the four-armed man on silver platters, "Not only will you have to formulate a strategy but you must also hone your minds and prepare yourselves for the worst."

"And you're saying it like we're doomed to fail." The fire ninja crossed his arms in annoyance.

"I didn't say you _will_ fail," The bearded old man corrected his apprentice, "But you'll doom yourselves to failure if you repeat the mistakes of the past. I would recommend you to ensure your mind will also be ready for such a tremendous task as well as formulating a strategy beforehand."

The ninja and kunoichi knew their teacher was right. They weren't even sure if they were ready to face the dark lord again no matter how aware they were to how inevitable it was.

"Coming up with a plan is one thing but there's also having to make the trip to Garmadon's base. How will we be able to get there?" Luna pondered.

"Funny of you to ask..." The green ninja's matching eyes turned towards the corner where he usually worked on _those…_

* * *

The only finished mechs that had any chance of reaching Garmadon's volcano base of operations were the Water Strider, the Lightning Jet, and the Mech Dragon. The three mechanisms were on their way to the volcano and some locals already caught sight of them. However, the civilians' awe didn't reach the ninja as they had something even greater to worry about than cheap tabloid fame.

"Remember Master Wu's warnings. Don't let your personal issues control you." Nya gave a small pep talk to Lloyd from the mech's communication systems.

"I know." The green ninja replied but the tone of his voice suggested otherwise.

Kai really wanted to go with his Fire Mech but it wouldn't be able to traverse well on water so he had to settle with hitching a ride on the Mech Dragon along with Iris of all people. Only yesterday did she finally bury the hatchet with Lloyd and even then, was still angry at him. Ever since being assigned to the group heading for the artificial volcano, she didn't say a word. She seemed collected but her mind couldn't be further from being the opposite. Lloyd can even feel the tension radiating from her being.

'Don't get distracted. This might be the only chance I have to get the answers I've been looking for...' The green ninja was too focused on the mission to give a shit about what his ally may think of him. As long as he doesn't lose control of his emotions, he'll be able to get out of this one without destroying his relationship with his friends and teammates…

* * *

Just because some ninja won't be going to Garmadon's lair doesn't mean they'll just stand there and let them do all the hard work.

The rest of the ninja also pitched in for this mission. Instead of following the mechs to the dark lord's volcanic base, they headed for the TV stations to help regain control of the broadcasts. But not before stopping at the eastern edge of the city so they can come up with a plan.

"Jay should've come with us!" Luna lamented the absence of the lightning ninja, "He knows all about technology and machines! If he were here, this would've been a breeze!"

"He's not the only one." Cole asked with a hint of annoyance while shooting a quick glance at Zane to remind the kunoichi of sound just who was accompanying them for this part of the mission. Too bad she still didn't give a damn if her lack of any reaction indicated anything.

"So what's the plan?" Aria asked the black ninja for the basic rundown of their strategy.

"Luna and Heather will head for the NTV station while you and I go to the Ninjago Network station."

"And where will I go?" Zane asked, having been left out of the earth ninja's initial plan.

"You will scour the rest of the city for any suspicious activities but you'll also check up on us every now and then. Do you think you can handle that?" Cole gave the nindroid his agenda and wanted to make sure he'll be able to do it.

"I will humbly accept this task." The white ninja quickly went along with the plan.

"Okay then. If we don't find anything within thirty minutes, we'll all meet up right here. Understood?" The black ninja wanted to make sure everyone in this party knew what to do.

"Got it." The members of the splinter group headed for their designated areas, preparing themselves for what may await them…

* * *

Back at the volcano lair, the mechs have arrived and much to their surprise (and suspicion) they were able to reach the artificial mountain with little trouble.

"Do you think it's safe to land here?" Jay asked from the airborne Lightning Jet.

"Of course not." Lloyd said despite allowing the Mech Dragon to set foot on the dark lord's lair.

"Something's not right," Even Kai sensed the eerie solitude, "Even if he wouldn't know we're coming, Garmadon would've had his slaves on the lookout."

"You never know..." His sister also approached the dark lord's stronghold with caution after turning off her Water Strider.

Lloyd was aware of how suspicious things were but all he could think about was that his father lurked somewhere within the stronghold and he still had so many things he wanted to say and to to him and not a single one will have the dark lord get away in one piece.

"There's no turning back now." Iris finally said something to Lloyd and her words came off as a warning to remind him of what was at stake.

"...I know..." That was all he had to say.

The small group began to search for a way inside so they can see what the future holds for them…

* * *

 **Oooohh! Looks like something's finally gonna happen in this boring-ass story!**

 **So will Lloyd and the gang foil Garmadon's scheme? Find out in the next chapter & please review!**


	81. Uninvited Guests

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Here's the last update of November! We'll take a look at how each team is doing & something really big is gonna happen so read on to find out!**

* * *

Chapter 80: Uninvited Guests

Lloyd and his group sneaked within the shadows of the volcano where the dark lord lurked.

"What are you doing!?" Kai was flabbergasted by his sister's audacity to walk out in the open.

"Garmadon most likely has his servants looking for us with our mechs being like sitting ducks. They'll find us sooner or later." The silver kunoichi walked out into the open with her spear at the ready.

"That doesn't mean you can go out and blow our cover!" Her brother still complained, "If you wanna end up as a failure, then be my guest! But don't drag us down with you!"

Then the fire ninja lost his voice upon witnessing what happened afterwards. Lloyd stood up and went along with his stupid sister's example.

"Lloyd!? You too!?" Jay was shocked to see the green ninja following the kunoichi of water.

"Nya's right," The dark lord's son started, "It's only a matter of time before we're discovered."

"Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you faced Garmadon?" Jay asked.

"I swear! I'm not gonna do something like that again so stop acting like I will!" The green ninja hissed in annoyance at the blue ninja, who shrunk back from his outburst.

"Calm down, Lloyd," Iris reminded him of the mission, "We still have to find a way inside."

Kai, Jay, and Iris reluctantly followed Lloyd and Nya. Doing nothing but sitting outside won't get them anywhere, much less solving the problem they set out to fix. Now that a confrontation with Garmadon is all but unavoidable, they might as well face him head on when they do. Hopefully they won't have to worry about it sooner than they hope.

* * *

Luna and Heather reached the NTV station but nothing seemed out of place… on the outside.

"I think we should go." The purple kunoichi was quick to deem the place safe and tried to leave.

"But we haven't really checked on the station," The kunoichi of nature corrected her, "We better take a look before we decide if it's truly safe."

"I guess..." Luna knew her teammate was right. Nothing good will come out of jumping to conclusions, especially in this kind of situation. She clutched her sai as tight as she could before following the teal kunoichi into the building.

The duo wandered down the halls of the TV station and from the looks of it, nothing really significant was going on other than trying to take back control of the broadcasts.

"It's the kunoichi!" Some of the staff noticed and pointed out the girls' presence and before they knew it, the civilians rushed up to them and got in their faces.

"Thank goodness you're here!" Members of the news team were relieved to see a pair of benevolent faces with all the things that's been going on, "We're having trouble regaining control of the TVs and stuff! We could sure use some help from you girls!"

The kunoichi weren't sure if they were the right choice. They weren't exactly tech-savvy but they were bound to their vows to help anyone in need.

"I really think Jay, Nya, or even Zane should've done this," Luna still lamented the selection of the ninja and their designated agenda, "At least they know how to work with machines."

"Stop whining and help me try and get the TVs back in control!" The teal kunoichi wasn't gonna put up with her teammate's constant whinging any longer and quickly accepted the staff's request for help.

The kunoichi of sound remained reluctant to try and do something she had absolutely no knowledge about. But Lord Garmadon didn't seem intent on losing control of all the TVs in Ninjago anytime soon. As long as she's here, she'll have to live up to her title as a kunoichi and see what she can do…

* * *

The locals wandering the city were too concerned with the TV issues to notice one of the ninja lurking in the shadows not too far from them. Zane was thankful to have some advantages of being a robot. With his advanced optical and visual options, he could detect even the smallest thing like a leaf getting caught in the wind or the face that looks just like a member of the Shark Army -

'Wait!' The white ninja scanned one of the faces in the crowd and there was no mistaking it.

This person was a member of the Shark Army and they weren't alone. Next to them were a few more members of Garmadon's legion of underlings. Obviously, they believed going about their day without their sea life-themed attire would allow them to go unnoticed.

Zane fired a single arrow at them though not to immobilize them but to get their attention and it did. The Shark Army as well as the public were stunned when an arrow flew seemingly out of nowhere and struck the ground in front of the enemies.

The arrow also caught the attention of the locals who looked to the source of the seemingly random arrow. A pair of icy blue eyes glowed within the shadows until the strange being stepped out to reveal the nigh robotic white ninja.

"It's him! The white ninja!" Everyone quickly recognized the bow-wielding member of the Secret Ninja Force thanks to his glowing eyes and extremely methodical movements.

"I will not let you commit evil deeds and go unscathed." The pristine white ninja said with a voice that rivaled the deadliest chills of winter.

'I swear to Lord Garmadon, that guy's actually be a robot!' The seemingly ordinary citizens can hardly believe the white ninja saw through their unassuming visage. Still, they weren't planning to go down without a fight. They had some weapons concealed within their clothes and readied themselves to do battle with the white ninja.

"Ninja-go!" Zane shouted out the team's trademark battle cry and the brawl begins...

* * *

Cole and Aria finally arrived at the Ninjago Network station. Just like with Heather and Luna at the NTV station, nothing looked out of place.

"Okay! Now let's kick some Shark Army ass and get this over with!" Aria wrapped her fingers around the hilts of her daggers tightly and was ready to march inside the building.

"Aria, you need to take this more seriously," Cole scolded her while dragging her back into their hiding spot in the bushes, "You never know what will happen and we can't afford any failures."

The black ninja led his teammate inside the building and again, they were met with relieved faces who wanted them to pitch in and help get their content back on the air. Now the earth ninja regretted not having Zane or even Jay go to one of the TV stations in the city. They would've helped bring all the TVs back under the right people's control.

"I'm gonna have to be honest. I'm kinda disappointed in these guys." Aria heard one of the staff of the station complain. Normally, she didn't really care what others think but she had trouble tuning out the criticism for some reason.

"I was hoping they'll be able to do something about this issue but so far, nothing's working."

"Cut them some slack," Another staff member finally came to the vigilantes' defense, "They're ninja, not technicians. At least give them some credit for trying to help out."

While Aria couldn't tell because of the mask covering most of his face, Cole was also bothered by the staff's ungrateful bantering though he wasn't bothered by it as much as his ally. He already faced a lot of criticism from his dad to let other people's harsh words affect him.

'Oh well. Nobody's perfect.' The disillusioned earth ninja quickly shrugged it off and still did whatever he can to help, even if just a tiny bit...

* * *

Lloyd and his group continued to look for a way in without getting discovered. They were surprised by how tight the security was but this is the dark lord they're trying to sneak up on so it's to be expected. That still didn't stop them from trying to find a way inside until they heard light tapping behind them.

"Jay, this isn't the time to hide behind me." Kai grumbled at his timid comrade.

"But I'm right here." The lightning ninja said next to the hotheaded ninja. All the ninja were in sight of one another so the tapping noises couldn't belong to any of them. That can only mean...

Now the ninja realized they were cornered by what could only be the Shark Army.

"Shit." The ninja all said simultaneously.

The ninja were being led to who knows where within the volcano lair. This could be the very first time anyone besides the Shark Army and Garmadon himself got to visit the dark lord's domain. They were surprised by how different it was from their expectations. They assumed the interior will be filled with fire and stone to match the volcano aesthetic the structure had but their beliefs were confounded by what they saw. It was almost entirely built like one big factory with the occasional training grounds. It was, dare they say, much more grandiose than the warehouse that served as their base of operations.

Iris struggled to free herself from her binds but as buffoonish as the Shark Army were, they sure know how to tie a knot.

"Don't even think about it!" The goons slapped her upside the head, halting any attempts to escape.

"Where do you think they're taking us?" Jay whispered to Nya who was bound right in front of him.

"No talking!" One of the goons leading them jabbed the blue ninja hard on the back. A tiny whimper escaped from his concealed mouth and it made the silver kunoichi's blood boil not at her comrade but at the moron who had the nerve of hurting anyone important to her before her very eyes. It it weren't for the extremely tight bonds and that they were inside Garmadon's home turf, the confident kunoichi would've shown these morons what fear really is.

"Stop stalling!" Now it was Nya's turn to get a painful jab in the back. She refused to show any signs of discomfort or pain so the Shark Army won't get any bit of satisfaction from her.

The ninja remained quiet for the rest of the trip through Garmadon's stronghold. After several minutes of endless walking, they stopped at a pair of massive double doors made of a slick black material with dragons embossed on them. Large garnets served as the mythical creatures' eyes and seemed to stare down at the uninvited guests. Since it was the most ornate thing they saw inside the volcano as of yet, the ninja can only guess this leads to the personal lair of Lord Garmadon himself.

"Don't just stand there. Get in." The unmistakable abrasive voice of the dark lord emanated from the speakers above the doors.

Several moments of uneasy silence had befallen the ninja until deep groans resonated from the barred entry and then it slowly opened.

"Look at those morons. They think these doors are opening by themselves." The ninja can barely hear whispers within the walls as the double doors parted.

"Yeah. What a bunch of dumb bitches." More voices snickered.

The ninja ignored the voices and the doors were now fully open and the Shark Army pushed the group of vigilantes inside. As expected, the office was huge and one of the walls was actually one big window for the dark lord to stare at the city he's been trying to conquer for who knows how long. Admittedly, the bustling skyline against the lush mountains and bordering the clear seas was very stunning and the sun that was just starting to set added to the beauty but this was the worst time to get distracted by a pretty view.

The ninja only realized by now that they were walking down a red carpet that ended at...

"My lord, we have delivered the trespassers to have an audience with you." The Shark Army bowed in front of the obstinate office desk at one end of the vast chamber.

This was the moment all the ninja, even the ones that weren't here, had dreaded. Even if the tall chair of glossy black leather had its back turned on them, they were still standing before Garmadon himself. The massive pillars of flame used for decoration on either side of the dark lord's desk illuminated the whole room.

"Go. You're no longer needed for the moment." The dark lord raised one hand the ninja noticed were clawed to give his servants the gesture that they better leave. The Shark Army were smart enough to know when they weren't wanted and crept out of the chamber. The big doors abruptly slammed shut, sealing the ninja and the dark lord off from the rest of the volcano lair and even the rest of Ninjago.

"I don't want to hear a word from you… yet." Garmadon's voice alone was enough to silence them.

The room became quiet save for the light 'tick tick' of the dark lord's claws hitting the arm of his chair as he tapped his fingers in deep contemplation. Each minute felt like an hour and every second felt like a whole minute. The extremely tense atmosphere was almost suffocating the ninja. Their hands were clammy with sweat and anxiety and their voices were stuck in their throats.

"I never expected our second meeting to be like this." Garmadon's voice was calm, which only made it even more unnerving. It was very different from the loud boasting he usually indulges in when trying to mess up the people's daily lives. The ninja were still too petrified to talk back. They all turned their eyes on Lloyd, worried over what he might do or what's going on in his head. All they could see of his face under his mask were his furrowed brows, leaving little to the imagination.

"It's funny how fate works," The dark lord spoke again, "Nothing ever goes as I plan. I certainly never thought a bunch of upstarts like you would dare to oppose me."

The chair creaked as it swayed to and fro. The ninja's hearts began to race as the chair began to slowly turn around…

* * *

After they were done with their agenda, the other group met up at the eastern edge of the city. Cole, Luna, Aria, and Heather didn't look much worse for wear but Zane looked bruised and battered.

"Zane! What happened?" Heather was the first to notice the white ninja's bedraggled appearance.

"I have faced several Shark Army members in combat." Zane answered bluntly.

"What!?" The others were shocked by the nindroid's explanation for his condition. They had a feeling at least one of them would find the Shark Army but they didn't expect it to be Zane, who happened to be the only person in the party to go solo.

"Why didn't you tell us!?" Aria grabbed the android's arms and started shaking him.

"There were no convenient means to communicate with you at the time." The pale ninja replied after he grabbed hold of her hands to calm her down as well as preventing his optics from getting damaged.

"I shouldn't have let you go off on your own!" Cole was quick to blame himself for not only assigning the worst people for the wrong tasks but also for putting one of his own allies in danger.

"Please do not worry for me. I have driven them off and I am here." The ice ninja appeased his allies, "I would also like to know how the rest of you fared."

"All we did was try bringing the broadcasts back under our control for what little good that did." Luna bemoaned her inability to resolve anything in her portion of the mission.

"Same here." Cole wasn't happy about being useless either. If there's one thing he despised more than dealing with his father, it's not being able to contribute in something much more important.

"And what about the others?" Aria asked, "It's been a while since they headed for Garmadon's place. It's extremely risky to try and go there in the first place."

It quickly dawned on the group that they haven't heard anything from the rest of the team and if they managed to reach the artificial volcano, there would've been an uproar. Right now, the civilians were disturbingly quiet about it.

"Perhaps we should we check on them." Cole could think of nothing else but head for the dark lord's base where the rest of the ninja are likely held as prisoners.

"I don't want to sound delusional but what if Garmadon hasn't caught them yet?" Aria interjected.

Now everyone gawked at the orange kunoichi like she was the android with uncanny features.

'Oh crap. Looks like Aria's finally lost it.' Heather wasn't looking forward to what her friend had to say.

"If Garmadon captured or even found the ninja in his lair, he seems to be the type to brag about it at the first chance he has and he hasn't said anything as of yet." The olive-skinned kunoichi explained her point of view to her teammates.

"You're being paranoid," The earth ninja dismissed her, "Don't get all worked up over little things."

"Even the smallest details can make the biggest difference." Zane was a bit more understanding of the normally capricious girl's point of view.

"But how will we reach them? It's already out in the middle of the ocean and we don't have anything that could reach it." Luna pointed out.

"Actually, the Ice Tank has a sixty percent chance of being able to reach Lord Garmadon's residence."

Everyone sans the ice ninja stood there with the same face a deer makes when caught by headlights.

"Then why didn't you go with them!?" Aria wailed on the white ninja once she found her voice.

"Its functions are still being tested and I did not want to risk any dire mishaps -"

"You think that's the only problem? You're the only one who can control it and the cockpit can only fit one person!" Heather interrupted the nindroid.

"You can still follow me. I have a plan." Zane beckoned the others to follow him back to the warehouse where the remaining mechs rested.

* * *

Master Wu was surprised to see half of his students back at the warehouse when they still had a lot of work to do. Judging from their expressions, they knew of this too. They didn't bother to acknowledge him and crowded around the Ice Tank which was promptly turned on by its pilot.

"Ice Tank interface mode activated." Zane droned once he was connected with his mech.

The many moments it took to intertwine Zane's thought components with the Ice Tank's programming felt like years for the others until the process was complete. The nindroid was now connected with his mech and acted as its AI. All that was left for him was to head for the dark lord's domain.

"Wait, how will the rest of us reach the volcano?" Luna asked.

"If there are no mishaps, I will be able to create a path." The ice ninja's voice echoed from the Ice Tank as if the mech itself was speaking.

"And what's the chances of a mishap… happening?"

"Seventy percent."

The other ninja stood there in stunned silence yet again. Things were looking dire already and the ice ninja just had to rub salt on the wound.

"It's a risk we're willing to take." Cole was quick to accept it.

There's still the thirty percent chance they will get to the volcano lair without any incident.

"It is recommended you stay behind me as I create a path." The tracks began to churn and then move towards the entrance of the warehouse. The rest of the ninja followed in its tracks and throughout the whole thing, they completely ignored Master Wu, who watched the whole thing.

"A simple hello would've been nice." The old man said to himself before taking another sip of tea.

* * *

The ninja and the Ice Tank soon made it to the beach where the volcano was in plain sight.

"Now what?" Aria had no idea what Zane was planning to do.

"Don't jump to conclusions just yet," Heather retorted, "Zane will find a way to get us to Garmadon's lair. I know it."

The ice ninja's teammates kept their distance, not wanting to relive the Ice Tank's first test run anytime soon. The tip of the cannon and the storage unit of freon cells glowed an icy blue to match the eyes of the mech's pilot ever brighter until the cannon fired. The other ninja shivered from the intense cold of the blast and saw that the nindroid frozen part of the sea. He was creating a solid path for them to get to the volcano.

"Zane! You did it!" Luna praised the nindroid's resourcefulness.

"Follow me." The Ice Tank drove along the trail of ice, firing at the ocean as it went.

The mech turned around only to see the others collapsed in a heap a fair distance from him. It appears that humans struggle to maintain their footing on ice unless they have blades under their feet. Maybe Master Wu will also have to add figure skating lessons to the ninja's training regime…

* * *

 **Finally! This story's gonna get to some real action & drama! As always, I'll see you soon & review!**


	82. Forgetting Something

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Sorry for the late update but here's the next chapter! After all that craziness last time we saw the ninja, let's see how things will turn out for them! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 81: Forgetting Something

It was much longer than he hoped but Zane finally made it to the foot of the artificial volcano where Lord Garmadon resided… and where the rest of the Secret Ninja Force might be held captive.

Behind the Ice Tank were the remaining ninja, who were completely bruised and battered from their attempts to walk on ice. Any bit of skin that wasn't covered in their ninja gi were mottled with scrapes, bruises, and all kinds of injuries.

"We made it…!" Heather wheezed whilst getting back on her feet.

"And with you always grabbing us whenever you fell down, being here is nothing short of a miracle!" Aria groaned while rubbing her sore bottom.

"Quit complaining," Cole scolded her, "We made it and that's all that matters. Right, Luna?"

…

"...Luna…?" The earth ninja turned around to look for the remaining kunoichi.

'You gotta be kidding me...' The buff ninja felt nothing but pure exasperation when he found her.

In the distance was the kunoichi of sound, completely prone and face down on the ice. She may have had experience in dancing but she learned the hard that it meant nothing when it comes to treading on ice. Her dance skills couldn't save her from all the trips and falls on the slippery surface. Cole ended up having to slip and tumble again just to reach out to her and help her up.

"Can you get up?" The black ninja assisted his teammate.

"Owww…. M-my face… Is it… Is it all messed up…?" Luna whimpered.

"Let me see." The black ninja carefully took off her mask to examine the damage. He almost cried out when he saw just how banged up her face actually was. The poor girl's face looked like a wreck with a busted lip, a swollen eye, and a bunch of bruises all over her face. Then again, Cole had no doubt his face was the exact same along with the other kunoichi judging from the pain coursing under his mask.

"Uhhh… you don't look any worse than the rest of us." The earth ninja tried to placate her even while slowly putting her mask back on.

"Oh god! I'm hideous!" The purple kunoichi cried.

"And what exactly are you implying?" Heather loomed over the pair with an intimidating aura.

"I share your concern for Luna but we must find out what happened to the others." Zane interrupted the moment once he was disconnected with the Ice Tank. For some reason, he was greeted by glares from his comrades. It was bad enough his white gi already made him look much more pristine even if they weren't on a mission that involved falling flat on their faces countless times.

"...Did I say something wrong…?" The ice ninja was quickly aware of the nasty looks targeting him.

"No, yet you're right. Something _is_ wrong." Aria responded.

"What's wrong?" Zane asked.

"We're here but… there's no way inside." The orange kunoichi answered.

Yup. Even after messing up their faces, it's still far from over for the ninja. They overcame one obstacle just to find themselves facing another. It's just one of the ways of this cruel, cruel world.

Now that this group of ninja are at the volcano lair, let's see what happened to the other group while these poor fools made Bara on Ice fans cry.

* * *

The ninja's hearts raced faster with each and every second as Lord Garmadon's chair turned around at an unbelievably sluggish pace. The moment they could see the armrest, the ninja saw not one but two arms with flesh blacker than coal. The top arm rested above the bottom that held on to the armrest. Even if they already faced him in person before, the ninja were still intimidated by the nefarious tyrant and what kind of horrific punishment he'll most likely dish out at them. The ninja soon saw the a small portion of the dark lord's helmet and if he turned his head alone, they would've seen his face.

He was so close now. Just turn a tiny bit more and the ninja would be face-to-face with him.

While everyone's hearts were pounding, Lloyd's mind was winning the race. There were many words he wanted to say and so many things he wanted to do yet fear was holding him back.

No, it wasn't fear… or maybe it is… Just not the kind of fear he expected.

It's not because he's stuck in the same room as the dark lord. The green ninja found himself unable to say or do anything without fearing how Garmadon will react.

Will he find him familiar and put the puzzle pieces together?

And what if he doesn't?

Lloyd felt that if Garmadon fails to recognize him, he won't be entirely happy about it and that's what disturbed him more than anything he already faced. It was like he _wanted_ Garmadon to realize who he is, no matter how badly it would jeopardize everything from his reputation to even his bond with his mother who didn't want him to follow in the dark lord's footsteps in any way.

"Nah." Garmadon suddenly decided against a direct confrontation with the ninja, which didn't deliver any relief to them whatsoever. He even turned the back of the chair so it was facing his captives.

"What? Too scared to admit you're powerless without your slaves or mechs?" The red ninja snapped at the dark lord, a truly idiotic thing to do.

"Shush!" The silver kunoichi stomped on his foot to silence him.

"No. I find no purpose in having you here… yet..." Garmadon answered in an eerily cool voice, "I don't want to waste the opportunities I have..."

"What opportunities…?" The green ninja asked without realizing it until it was far too late.

"There's a bunch of things I could do to you like making you the test subject of some of my projects or hold you for ransom in exchange of something more worthwhile such as the absolute sovereignty over Ninjago City."

"What about a certain someone?" The green ninja blurted again. The other ninja slowly turned their heads towards him and he can tell they were pissed at him without having to look at their faces. Lloyd was painfully aware of his bad habit of saying the worst things at the worst time possible. He just has had enough of all the suffering he faced everyday and was immune to the pain and misery that would otherwise drive a normal person mad.

The dark lord remained silent for a full minute as he contemplated the green ninja's words. Now is not the time to be thinking of such things.

"Now that I think about it, throwing you deep into the flaming bowels of the volcano would be a fun idea..." Garmadon's lips stretched into an unseen grin full of sharp teeth that had its way of terrifying the ninja who can't even see it, "But not right now. Great things come to those who wait. That's what I've been told back then. I assume _he_ told you that too..."

The ninja winced and that was all the dark lord needed to know they were affiliated in some way with his parents' pesky son. But for now, he knew how to deal with these brats.

"Don't put them in a cell just yet," Garmadon commanded his minions via speakers, "First, I'll have the ninja know true suffering before I try anything with them."

The ornate double doors opened again and the Shark Army came in to take the ninja away.

"You won't get rid of us that easily!" The mouthy red ninja was still being defiant, "One day, we'll make you regret not taking us out on the spot!"

Garmadon still didn't respond or do anything as the ninja were being dragged away. Eliminating them right now would be a total waste. Besides, not all of the ninja were here and he wanted to ensure he'll have them all here before doing anything to them...

* * *

The ninja found themselves being led through the volcano base again albeit in a different route. Soon, they reached the doors of a large elevator and were unceremoniously thrown inside. The Shark Army's mean chuckles didn't make it any better as the doors closed and completely sealed them off from the rest of the world.

"Come out Garmadon! You're just a coward!" Kai still hollered.

"Kai! That's enough!" A very frustrated Nya grabbed hold of him before he could dig a bigger hole for the group to bury themselves in.

"He thinks he can just lock us up in here!? Who does he think he's messing with!?" The fire ninja still kept up with his rampage.

"A bunch of weeaboos who are too dumb to live." Lloyd finally said something that didn't have to do with his daddy issues.

"You can go on all you want but my main concern is why Garmadon would keep us in an elevator." Iris paced around the rather spacious chamber.

"And why isn't it moving?" Jay couldn't feel the vibrations of the basic machinery working to move the elevator up or down… or if they're even working at all...

As if to answer the ninja's questions, music started to play from speakers the ninja couldn't see but it wasn't just any other pop number or an old classic. No, this was the dreaded elevator music that had driven many an apartment dweller insane.

"Oh no. Not this. Anything but this." Nya clutched her head and tried tuning out the cacophony.

"Get us out of here!" Kai started beating up the doors the moment the dreaded synth tunes started.

Until now, the ninja never realized there was a good reason Garmadon had such an evil reputation.

* * *

Back with the other group, they may have reached the volcano but they had to face another issue.

Now that they were here, how will they get inside?

"There must be a secret entrance," Heather felt around the volcano for anything out of place, "There could be a button, a lever, or something to activate it."

"If we get caught, we could end up meeting the others but I don't want to risk that." Aria said.

"If we can't find a way in, then we'll have to _make_ one for ourselves." Cole was ready to use his hefty hammer to tear down the slopes of the volcano.

"Are you crazy!?" Heather hissed at him, "You might as well serve us all up on a silver plate!"

"I think with such a large track of ice leading up to the volcano, that would surely get Lord Garmadon's attention," Luna started, "Sooner or later, we'll have to face the Shark Army or if things go from bad to worse, even Lord Garmadon himself. And if they do come out and see what's going on..."

The kunoichi of sound fell silent. The others would think she's gone insane if she tells them her idea…

"Maybe… if we try… we could ambush them and… sneak inside…?" As she spoke, the purple kunoichi felt like she was shrinking under the incredulous expressions her teammates pointed towards her. By the time she was done with her proposal, she was practically an ant among elephants.

"I don't see why not." Cole agreed, much to the others' shock, especially Luna's.

"You do not happen to have been stricken by madness, have you?" Even Zane was astonished by the earth ninja's compliance with their teammate's idea even he considered incredibly risky.

"We're already crazy enough to try and get here. We don't have much to lose anyway." The black ninja shrugged off his teammates' concerns.

"Such as our lives..." The teal kunoichi grumbled.

"Or even the slightest shred of faith we have in you." The orange kunoichi added.

"This isn't the first time we fought the Shark Army. Just try to stay alive and make a dash for any point of entry." Cole still went along with Luna's admittedly outlandish plan.

"I hear someone… no… many people approaching..." Zane put the audio receptors programmed in his ears at maximum power and listened for any noise coming from within the artificial mountain.

"Dammit. We're too late." Heather cursed under her breath.

"Even if Luna didn't suggest it, we would've caught their attention by now," Cole reminded her, "Now get ready everyone. We're gonna have to fight our way in..."

The others didn't want to but they had to accept that they had no choice.

At this point, it's too late to turn back.

* * *

Cole's group had their weapons ready while waiting for the inevitable skirmish with the Shark Army.

"Way to go, Luna..." Heather hissed at her ally.

"Give it a rest," The black ninja defended the quiet kunoichi, "They would've discovered us sooner or later. Besides, this isn't the first time we've been outnumbered."

"Quiet. They are approaching." Zane sensed the enemies coming ever closer.

And just as expected, a portion of the mountain parted. The 'doors' were designed to look just like the natural material of the volcano the whole stronghold mimicked. A flock of minions dressed up as sea creatures poured out of the entrance and the ninja knew there was no turning back.

"NINJA-GO!" The young vigilantes faced the Shark Army head on in battle.

Everything seemed like a blur once the brawl began. All the ninja could think about was surviving this fight and get inside the volcano. Rather than directly fighting the enemies, the ninja fought primarily in self-defense. As they fought, the ninja tried getting closer to the entrance. Zane went back to the Ice Tank and froze the enemies, being careful not to get his allies caught in the crossfire. Cole made sure to keep his distance while swinging his hammer so he could sneak his way inside with little detection. The buff ninja had a difficult time squeezing between the tiny space he had to get closer inside while keeping an eye on his teammates. He swiped a couple more baddies with his warhammer and then he was finally inside the volcano. Now the others had to do the same.

"Over here! Quickly!" Cole beckoned his teammates to catch up to him.

The kunoichi followed on foot while Zane stayed connected to the Ice Tank that also made its way in.

"Close the gates! Don't let them get in!" The Shark Army tried to stop the ninja but being the buffoons they are, they couldn't keep up and all five ninja barely made it inside when the entrance was sealed shut, leaving _them_ out in the cold.

Once inside, Zane got out of his mech and ninja laid on the ground and took deep breaths, exhausted from such an arduous mission. They knew it was a miracle they were able to get in. Unfortunately, it's only gonna get more difficult from here on out.

"Luna… don't you dare get any ideas ever again..." Aria panted.

"Most importantly, we're inside and we need to find the others." Heather struggled to get up but she just managed to do it.

"Great. First, we couldn't do anything about the broadcasts and now, we're stuck in a volcano with no idea where to go." The kunoichi of wind assessed the team's situation.

"We're just gonna have to roll with it like those cliché cartoons." The earth ninja decided to suck it up.

"You mean either sneaking around on our tiptoes or crawling through the vents?" Luna asked.

"Pretty much."

"I can utilize my cybernetic components to search for our allies." Zane offered.

The nindroid put his optics in heat vision mode but with all the Shark Army members inside, it wasn't easy to tell who's who in such a vast location. But it will take more than that to make the ice ninja give up. He also scanned the environment he and his teammates were confined in.

"There are several elevators but the very top levels seem to only function with the identification of a select group of individuals." The ice ninja concluded after scanning any information he can find.

"Do you think that's where the others are?" The kunoichi of sound asked.

"There's only one way to find out..." Cole decided enough was enough and began the search. First, he considered taking the elevator at the far end of the chamber.

"Wait!" Aria stopped him.

"What now?"

"There could be cameras in the elevators too."

The black ninja took in the possibility and he suddenly punched the ground in frustration. Now he was completely stumped on how to free the others and get out of here.

"Looks like we will have to take the stairs." Zane pointed at the door leading to the stairway which was conveniently placed next to the elevators.

"Eh, it's better than nothing." Heather sneaked over and opened the door. The kunoichi of nature then gawked at how high the stairs went. They seemed to reach the heavens themselves.

"Seriously?" Luna was _not_ happy to see where this was going.

"Oh suck it up," Aria went ahead, "Let's get this over with. The other ninja won't find themselves."

The ninja were exhausted beyond belief from their search for their missing comrades. Whenever they weren't climbing steep stairs, they had to sneak around the lair, hiding behind large objects or waiting for ungodly amounts of time before moving only a few inches before hiding again. At least they got to have that catchy Blue Panther tune to match the atmosphere.

"Turn that off!" One Shark Army goon yelled at another to stop playing the theme on their phone.

"Sorry." The other goon turned off the music, depriving the ninja of anything that could make this task less dour.

After what felt like hours, the ninja made it to the higher floors. The ninja's feet were sore beyond all reason and they were extremely exhausted from their ordeal.

"According to my scans, this is the last floor that do not require special identification for access." Zane examined the location.

"This is it! We're done for!" Aria slumped down onto the ground.

"Wait. There is one thing I want to test out." Zane approached the small machine next to the elevator that is, without a doubt, the checkpoint to verify one's identity.

'Voice identification required.' The AI of the mechanism spoke.

"What are you doing!?" Cole hissed at the nindroid.

"If I fail, I am prepared to face the consequences." The ice ninja went on with his scheme. He played a recording of Garmadon's voice he saved from the dark lord's sabotage of the TV broadcasts.

The wait felt like forever until the machine finally said something.

'Identification verified.'

Even if Zane managed to get the elevator to work, it only opened another can of worms.

"What about the cameras that might be inside?" Luna was still aware of the possibility of the chamber having surveillance.

"The Shark Army stuck outside would've alerted the others of us by now… if they're not _that_ stupid." Cole answered.

Now all they can do now is wait for what might be on the other side.

* * *

The ninja in the elevator were going mad from the nonstop torture of the synth melodies going on and on and on and on and -

The chamber suddenly jolted and they can hear the low hums of the machinery working.

"Listen! We're moving!" Jay sensed the humming of machinery working and the ninja felt the elevator moving downward judging by the slight shift of their weight.

"Did they decide to let us go?" Iris asked.

"I doubt it," Nya replied, "If anything, they have something else in store for us..."

"Garmadon or the Shark Army might be on the other side. Prepare yourselves." Kai brandished his two katana and shifted into a fighting pose.

The elevator soon stopped and the ninja were expected the enemies but once the doors opened, they were met with a surprise.

"Guys! You're alive!" Luna was relieved to see her teammates again.

"How did you get here!?" Lloyd couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"We took the Ice Tank. It wasn't easy but hey, we're here now." Heather answered.

"How did you guys get out!?" It took much longer than what would be logically possible but the Shark Army eventually spotted the ninja.

"We're gonna have to fight these guys _again_!?" The teal kunoichi wasn't thrilled with how things were going for this mission.

"We got your backs!" The red ninja stood by her side.

"We also gotta get back to _our_ mechs." The silver kunoichi told her group.

"If you brought your mech with you, go look for them. The rest of us will deal with these guys." Lloyd immediately planned things out.

"But you also took your mech!" Iris retorted.

The green ninja cursed under his breath but knew he'll have to search for the Mech Dragon.

"NINJA-GO!" The remaining ninja fought the oncoming Shark Army while the rest dispersed to reclaim their mechs.

While Zane went down to retrieve the Ice Tank, Lloyd and his group sans Iris and Kai remained at the upper levels to find their mechs.

"Where do you think they'll put the mechs?" Jay couldn't find them anywhere.

"How should I know?" Lloyd snapped, "These morons either left them outside or taken them to some area we haven't been in.

"Hurry up! Get them in here before they find out!" The trio heard harsh voices in the distance.

As fate would have it, some of Garmadon's minions were dragging in the three mechs not far from the pilots' location.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The green ninja whispered to his companions.

"Definitely." Nya replied.

"Wait, what?" Jay was confused and didn't have time to think before Lloyd and Nya emerged and beat up the Shark Army. He had no choice but to join the fray and soon, they all reclaimed their mechs.

Not long after activating the Mech Dragon, Lloyd heard a message from the Ice Tank.

"I recommend an immediate evacuation." Zane's voice echoed.

"Understood." The green ninja didn't need to look for the others as they arrived to see what the huge commotion was all about.

"Hurry! Get on!" He rallied the others and they didn't need to be told twice that they should leave. Jay fired an electric blast at the wall, creating a pseudo exit for the mechs to leave.

Soon, all the ninja and mechs finally left the volcano lair and headed back to Ninjago City.

"Aren't we forgetting something?" Luna asked atop the Mech Dragon after a long while.

"What is it?" Kai asked.

...

"Garmadon still has hold of the broadcasts."

Lloyd's eye started to twitch and he took a deep breath. The others covered their ears and…

Since that day, one of Ninjago's greatest mysteries was the source of that terrifying roar.

* * *

 **Welp. Looks like the ninja survived this encounter with Garmadon. Now what other kinds of misadventures await them? Stay tuned to find out! Review!**


	83. The Great Ninjago Cook-Off

**Discovering Destiny**

 **I know it's late but here's an update! Things have been hectic for me lately. I gotta do some shopping & make a Christmas cake & on top of that, I have a Christmas one-shot & the next chapter of 'Life with Kai & Nya' in the works. It's pretty stressful but I'm not giving up on this story. I'll live to finish it even if it kills me. Now read on.**

* * *

Chapter 82: The Great Ninjago Cook-Off

Lord Garmadon sat in his office in deep contemplation since the ninja were taken away. Even after the upstarts made a miraculous escape, the only company he allowed were his innermost thoughts. As for the Shark Army in charge of dealing with those meddling brats, he already dealt with them by putting them through a suitable punishment. Now that he had that issue over with, the dark lord had all the time in the world to mull over the craziness that transpired in the last couple of hours.

The way the green ninja spoke to him left him more unnerved than he should be.

Since when did he care about what others think of him?

In fact, he wore his reputation as the worst guy around as a badge of honor.

'Even if you paid such a heavy price for it?' A voice deep in his mind spoke to him.

'Shut up. I've done enough arguing with myself to last a lifetime.' The four-armed man snapped back at his own subconscious thoughts and resumed observing the skyline of Ninjago City.

He was tempted to exchange the ninja for the family that was taken away from him but he had doubts she would ever do such a thing. After all, she made the choice after what they've gained together. And she thinks he's the selfish one.

Alas, he shouldn't think of such things right now. He may not seem like it but Garmadon knew when to separate his work from his private life… for the most part.

"My Lord! We have urgent news!" The newly promoted General 1's voice boomed from the other side of his office's double doors.

Completely forgetting about his family issues, the dark lord opened the doors and let the Shark Army waltz right in.

"Well?" Garmadon's already imposing voice nearly made the goons wet themselves.

"We came across some… difficulties with the TV broadcasts

"Then fix it!"

"Um… it might be a little too late for that..."

"WHAT!?"

"Well, not everyone can focus on multiple things at once -"

"Are you talking back at me!?"

"N-no…!" The Shark Army's feet were planted to the ground and they were too scared to move, even when they felt their garments from the waist down become wet.

"We… kinda got tired and decided to rest our eyes a bit… and..."

"Aaaaaand…?"

"We… lost connection… and _maybe_ the TV networks have control of the broadcasts again..."

If people are wondering why almost everyone in Ninjago City didn't get much sleep that night, there's a volcano within sight of the beach. It pretty much speaks for itself.

* * *

It was already late when Heather finally made it back home after such a complicated mission. The last thing she wanted was to have her family nagging her for staying out too long but the confrontation is inevitable. She sucked in a breath of air and marched right in.

"Heather, where have you been?" Just as she expected, the kunoichi of nature was interrogated by her fretful parents the moment she opened the door.

"My friends and I… uh… went to the movies," The teal kunoichi lied, "You know, since Garmadon took over the TVs and… no one would want to watch him brag all day."

"What kind of movie?" Her father asked.

"Um… the new one, Raphael Breaks the Web." Heather answered with some hesitation.

"But you didn't bring any money with -"

"My friends paid for the tickets and we didn't buy any food from the theater." The kunoichi of nature interrupted her mother to avoid further suspicion.

Her parents were relieved their child was safe but they still didn't want her to do such a thing again.

"Don't stay out for too long again, okay? You never know when Garmadon or the Shark Army will try anything like kidnapping you or worse." They warned her before returning to their daily routines.

"Mom, Dad. Don't worry. I know better." The freckled girl replied while heading to her room. The only thing she wanted right now after such a difficult mission was some peace and quiet.

Heather flopped down on her bed once she reached her private sanctuary that was her bedroom. She was still amazed by how things have been for her since she became a kunoichi. Not only did she begin to see the teen pariah for who he really is underneath his plethora of family issues but also hang out with some more teens that would've otherwise remained complete strangers to her. She kinda knew Kai already by her friendship with Nya but she only got to really learn about him since this all started. The same could be said for the other ninja she never interacted with until recently. She couldn't help but wonder what they're going through right now. Maybe they're spending time with their families or working on some other stuff they're interested in. She'll never know for certain.

For the rest of the evening, things were tranquil in the Stuart household. The peaceful dinner with her parents, relaxing while chatting with online friends, and tending to the garden in the backyard made it worthwhile for the kunoichi of nature. Just like people, flowers came in all shapes and sizes. The roses had a lovely elegance and the lilies swayed in the breeze like they were dancing. The delicate scent of the flowers helped ease her mind and remind herself of the things she loved and gave her motivation to keep doing what she does.

Now that she felt all her cares melt away, Heather decided to call it a night. Having to continue school tomorrow, she decided to sleep early.

The teal kunoichi slept like a log, even sleeping through the rumble of Garmadon's volcano erupting.

Until...

At 3 AM, Heather's bloodshot eyes suddenly snapped open.

The poor girl was struck by the badly timed realization that she's having a math exam in the morning.

* * *

All members of the Secret Ninja Force never knew how much their lives were intertwined before they really started to interact with one another.

"Today, you'll learn how to make potato salad." Mrs. Jacobson gave the rundown for today's lesson. As always, the students were formed into groups to make the assigned dish.

"Zane and Aria, you two will work together." The home ec teacher paired the nindroid and capricious girl together.

"This is the first time we really got to work together." Aria remarked.

"It is indeed." Zane replied as he put on his apron.

"I knew that we were sharing this class since the beginning. I guess I just didn't find it necessary to talk about it… Or I simply forgot."

"It is alright. Prioritizing life lessons is not a bad thing."

"I guess..."

It was no secret to not just the ninja but every student in this class that Zane was a superb cook. The android peeled the potato in one swipe and cut the rest of the vegetables into uniform pieces. While he was clearly the better cook, Aria did her fair share of the work. She was one for coming up with the most bizarre flavor combinations but she had more cooking experience than most would assume. She has made more than a few tasty dishes during her kitchen experiments and with clear directions, she managed to keep up with Zane and even mixed in just the right amount of pepper to give the potato salad a nice kick that made it stand out among the rest made by the class.

"Excellent job, Zane." Mrs. Jacobson commended the robot for another fantastic dish.

"It is not I alone who deserves credit. Aria also helped make it." Zane tried to give his cooking partner a share of the spotlight.

"This isn't the first time you also made something delicious. Both of you pass."

The white ninja and orange kunoichi were simply relieved to pass with flying colors.

"I was pleasantly surprised by your culinary skills." The ice ninja complimented Aria after class.

"Maybe I can try and make something for the team one day," The kunoichi of wind was already getting ideas of some goodies she could whip up, "I've been thinking of combining cookies with mayonnaise or making something ketchup flavored like roast pork or soup."

"Perhaps you might need some time to consider if the flavors will be compatible." Zane suggested. As strange as it already was, mayonnaise cookies didn't sound the slightest bit appetizing to him and he calculated a four percent chance of anyone actually liking the combination.

"Are you saying I'm a bad cook!?" The impetuous human snapped from out of nowhere.

"No…!" The ice ninja was taken aback by the sudden change in Aria's mood, "I only seek to give some advice before you might make something unappetizing."

"Then we're gonna have a cook-off!" She proposed a challenge, "We're gonna cook something for the ninja and they'll decide who's the better chef!"

"But what will we make and when will we have this… 'cook-off'…?"

"How the hell should I know! I've never been in a cook-off before!"

"Then why would you suggest doing something you have never done at any point in your life?"

"It doesn't matter! We're still having a cook-off!"

The white ninja was taken aback by his teammate's impulsiveness but it seems like she was not one to back down on a challenge so easily.

"If so… Then I will do what I must..." Zane remained as polite as ever, even as he gave in to the orange kunoichi's outrageous demand.

* * *

Iris was back on another shopping spree at one of her favorite places in all of Ninjago, the Darling, the Stars Shine Bright boutique. She grabbed as many headbands and ribbons she could get a hold of.

"You're certainly in a good mood today." Karloff remarked on his niece's bright disposition.

"Well, there's a sale going on and I couldn't resist!" The young girl's eyes practically sparkled while she mowed through the store, grabbing anything that was on sale and caught her eye.

And it wasn't just her uncle who accompanied her.

Luna, who had quite a penchant for fashion, came along to also see if there was anything in this shop that she might like.

"Oh, this is cute." The purple kunoichi chose a pink skirt with a strawberry pattern printed on it with a big ribbon at the back.

Karloff looked uncharacteristically glum once the two girls were done shopping.

"Uncle, is something wrong?" Iris quickly noticed her uncle's melancholy.

"Nothing! As long as you're happy, I'm happy. But..." Karloff trailed off.

The two kunoichi knew there was a catch when people say stuff like that and waited for it...

"Sometimes, I feel like I _am_ a parent..." The poor man slumped over on a conveniently placed bench. For once, the burly guy bemoaned his burden of taking care of his relative.

"You don't want me around?" Iris put on her famous puppy dog eyes looks and she amped it up with tears glistening in her big violet eyes and her lips quivered. She even let out tiny little whimpers and it quickly became too much for Karloff.

"Of course not. I love having you here… It just makes me think about other things..." The big guy said to cheer up not only his niece but also himself.

"Maybe I should go..." Luna offered to leave. It looks like Iris and Karloff were gonna delve into some deep family issues and it wasn't her business.

" _Nyet_. You and Iris' friends are always welcome. Now would you mind helping me up? I need to fetch some 'Self-Motivation for Blockheads' books." Karloff asked.

The naive kunoichi followed along, not understanding the pains of adulthood.

* * *

Jay was back at one of his favorite haunts, the lPad store in the Ninjago City Mall to see what kinds of new gadgets were released.

"I gotta make a quick stop to the Q-Tea House and get some drinks. You two get along, okay?" Nya said briskly before running off and leaving the blue ninja to a fate much worse than death.

Poor Jay was forced to deal with the most hazardous thing for every teenage male to face.

The overprotective brother of the girl they like.

The lightning ninja didn't have to look at Kai to know that he was giving him a stare that could terrify the devil and all things that are unholy.

"You try anything and I'm gonna break into your house and destroy everything you hold dear." The fire ninja growled and if nightmares can be personified in one voice, then he nailed it.

The blue ninja was completely frozen in place while Kai continued terrorizing the already timid boy.

"You remember what happened to Shade, right?" Kai whispered in his ear.

Jay gulped. Andrew, who was known by his nickname Shade, was one of the more persistent 'suitors' of Nya until Kai decided to do something about it. The red ninja one day overheard him talking about Nya like she was the ultimate prize and the next day, he mysteriously disappeared. The day after that, humiliating videos and pictures of him were posted online and eventually, the poor guy was found in the basement of his house, hogtied and crying gibberish. The school deduced that Kai was the culprit because Nya heard his cries of pain coming from his bedroom the day he went missing. Since that day, Shade hasn't been the same and the incident served as a reminder to _never_ mess with Kai.

With the random backstory now over, Jay was back in the spotlight and that wasn't a good thing.

"I'm back!" Nya announced her return with some drinks for herself and the guys. She stopped in her tracks the moment she saw Jay and was confused by how pale and frightened he looked.

"Did something happen?" She tried to inspect him.

The lightning ninja, despite knowing better, darted his sapphire eyes towards Kai for a split second and that was more than enough to keep him silent.

"Nothing!" Jay was rather quick to dismiss Nya's concern. No one should ever forget #poorshade.

* * *

It was the weekend and the Secret Ninja Force knew what that means.

Today was going to be the most dramatic day in the history of Ninjago. Zane Julien and Aria Fernandez were going to have their fated cook-off and the others wanted to see what kind of culinary work of art they'll make (even if they looked forward to what

Zane and Aria agreed on making something simple that wouldn't require extensive preparations or a lot of ingredients. That could explain why there were all inside Dr. Julien's apartment.

"Both of you will make a sandwich," The old engineer gave the challengers the agenda, "You can use any ingredient on hand and have it finished within fifteen minutes.

The machine named M.O.M. made several beeps and mechanical noises that only Zane understood.

"Mom has officially begun the match." The nindroid translated for his fellow 'family member' and the dueling cooks immediately gathered some ingredients to make their sandwiches.

Aria made a mixture of eggs, milk, and sugar and soaked some thick slices of bread in it before cooking it on a frying pan.

"Wait a minute. You're supposed to make a sandwich, not French toast." Jay pointed out.

"Jay, French toast sandwich is a real thing." Cole told the lightning ninja.

"What are you gonna do with those ingredients?" Iris pointed at the herbs Zane brought out.

"The answer will become clear once I am finished." Zane replied without taking his optics away from his task.

While Aria and Zane were cooking, the ninja talked about all this craziness such as their expectations to even agreeing to be the judges the first place.

"I'm surprised you decided to show up." Iris said to the green-eyed pariah who accompanied the ninja outside of school and training, which rarely happened.

"I'm surprised too," Lloyd deadpanned, "Honestly, I'm just here for the free food."

"I'm with you," Cole added, "There's nothing better than getting to eat for free."

"And you're not gonna be biased towards your… son… are you?" Kai eyed the old scientist suspiciously.

"I have been an impartial judge in many situations and Zane wasn't always this good at cooking," The nindroid's creator slash father figure replied, "I'm sure Zane and Aria will both make something good. It could all be decided on personal taste."

The kitchen was filled with many heavenly smells mingling and it made the judges hungry and all the more eager to taste what the dueling cooks were making.

"Consider yourselves lucky because you're gonna be the very first people to try my new Breakfast For Dinner French Toast Sandwich Deluxe!" Aria presented her dish to the ninja and Dr. Julien.

"But it's not dinner time yet." Luna responded and sent a quick glance at the clock with both hands on the '4'.

"Shut up!" The orange kunoichi quickly brushed her off.

"Technicalities on the time aside, I commend Aria's creativity in her recipe. Mine is an open sandwich consisting of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and fresh herbs." Zane presented his plate.

Both sandwiches looked very appetizing and the ninja and Dr. Julien didn't hesitate to dig in. They lost themselves to the flavorful sensations as they feasted on both plates.

The ninja already knew that whatever Zane cooks up will be delicious yet this simple recipe blew them away. The dark rye bread was perfectly toasted to give it plenty of crunch in contrast to the toppings and the crust had multiple grains strewn on it to provide an interesting texture. The direct surface of the bread had a thin layer of butter spread on top to adhere the toppings. The vibrant smoked salmon was the star of the dish and stood out against the white of the cream cheese beneath it. Adorning the sandwich were some sliced fresh red onions and capers that gave the dish a piquant accent while the fresh dill, parsley, and lemon served as not only garnishes but to also lend enhancements to the dish that the judges can adjust to their tastes. The variety of textures, flavors, and colors blended together in perfect harmony on both the plate and tongue.

Aria's sandwich was made with meticulous preparations and it showed. The surface of the bread was crispy and the inside was fluffy and tender thanks to the egg mixture. The savory thick-cut ham in the middle gave a nice contrast to the mild sweetness of the French toast and had a refreshing twist with the little bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice the kunoichi of wind added to the ham while cooking it. The sunny side up egg on top was pretty much the icing on the cake. Biting into the yolk and letting it ooze over the sandwich, lending some added richness. It was all the wonderful things about breakfast combined into one plate.

The judges' tongues were in culinary heaven with each sandwich. Zane managed to create a euphoric synergy of flavors in his sandwich and Aria's had a variety of textures that made them want more. The sandwiches were both scarfed down within mere minutes. Their expectations were exceeded by the delicious food but now comes the hard part and why they were here in the first place. The sandwiches were quickly polished off and it was time for the most difficult part: deciding which one was the best.

"So which one do you like? Mine should taste better." Aria immediately tried to get the majority of the judges' votes.

"How are we gonna do that?" Kai asked.

"Simple. Raise your right hand for Aria and your left for Zane." Dr. Julien decided on the way to vote.

Lloyd, Kai, Luna, and (surprisingly) Dr. Julien voted for Aria while the rest voted for Zane.

"Looks like we have a winner!" Cole gave a hearty pat on the nindroid's shoulder to congratulate him.

"I'm more surprised that you didn't vote for Zane" Heather was astonished by Dr. Julien's preference for Aria's sandwich and not his son's.

"I guess I was in the mood for something sweet at the moment." The elderly man answered.

"It doesn't matter. Zane wins." Nya raised up the nindroid's hand to make him look more triumphant.

"No fair! No fair!" Aria threw a hissy fit like a toddler, "What did his recipe have that mine didn't!?"

"While I do prefer your sandwich, Zane's recipe showcased the years of experience he had in cooking." Dr. Julien started.

"And while I did like the blend of sweet and savory, I felt like there was something missing. Like there could've been more." Cole added.

"What more could you add in a French toast sandwich!?" The losing chef wailed.

"And even if it was delicious, the textures were mostly soft and the surface of the bread was sticky so it was a bit of a struggle to eat it." Jay answered.

"Zane just had more consideration for the people who'll eat his food and it showed. Sorry Aria but you lose." Heather gave her friend the cold hard facts.

Each criticism was like a stab right into Aria's heart. She just wanted the earth to swallow her up right then and there.

"Do not be so sad, Aria." Zane tried to comfort the kunoichi of wind.

"Don't you dare pity me!" She flinched at his touch.

"People's level of cooking prowess varies and that is part of being a person."

"That's what they all say."

"Who is 'they'…?"

"You know! 'They'!"

"Aria, face it. Zane's a better cook. You can't win at everything." Nya reminded her.

"You're one to talk." Aria muttered.

"This is different!" The silver kunoichi suddenly got flustered.

"Oh yeah?" Kai shared a video he took of his sister throwing an infantile tantrum over losing a round of video games… yesterday.

And now it's Nya's turn to be laughed at by her peers.

Guess that's how the cookie crumbles.

* * *

 **So how many of you got hungry reading this? Also, the movie Heather talked about is a reference to Ralph Breaks the Internet. I've already seen it but please PLEASE _PLEASE_ don't put any spoilers. It's not fun to ruin it for those who haven't. As always, thank you for staying with me & review!**


	84. Your Heroes On The Way

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Okay guys! Here's the next chapter! Today, we'll have a mix of humor & action. Garmadon will make another appearance & there will be a big change in the ninja's lives. Things have been pretty busy in real life for me but at least enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 83: Your Heroes On The Way

"Lloyd! You're up!"

Boos filled the baseball field of Ninjago High when the worst teen in Ninjago went up for his turn to be the pitcher in today's PE class. The green-eyed outcast didn't even know why the school keeps him in this class, especially after the dodgeball incident.

Lloyd didn't put any effort in his throw and even if he did, it wouldn't make a difference. It wasn't the first time it happened but the ball dropped a couple of feet behind him. The other students booed or berated him in a heartbeat.

"My cousin can still throw better than that and his throwing arm is broken!"

"You're pathetic!"

"You suck!"

"I'm gonna post this on PewTube!"

Lloyd didn't bother to put up with the PE class' bullshit any longer.

Cole was already hanging out in the green ninja's usual 'brooding corner'. Like Lloyd, Cole had an issue with PE but he was a different case. While a newborn baby could beat Lloyd in a throwing contest, the earth ninja was seen by some as 'too strong'. There were already a string of dodgeball incidents (none of them being the one involving Lloyd) which ended up with the school and Cole's father having to pay for all the damage. Yet for some reason, the buff teen still wasn't exempt from PE. The school staff are really a bunch of idiots.

The earth ninja didn't acknowledge Lloyd's presence. He knew he arrived by the gloomy atmosphere that followed him wherever he goes in school. The outcast slumped down and the only thing here to distract him from his shitty school life were the loud tunes blasting out of the black ninja's radio. Even if Lloyd wasn't the one accompanying him, Cole wasn't much of a talker. Sometimes, words don't have to be exchanged between friends to let them know what's going on in their minds.

They both had more than their fair share of daddy issues and that's probably why they often hang out here, not having to say anything to understand what the other is going through. Right now, what they both needed was some time to get away from it all… or at least have one minute of school without it being hell on earth.

* * *

The green ninja continued making strides with his mechanical prowess.

Iris' mech, the Volk Titan, was finally complete.

"Wow! It looks way better than it did on paper!" Iris gawked at the huge beast standing before her.

"And when will _our_ mechs be finished?" Aria pouted.

"When you can beat Zane in a cook-off." Lloyd scoffed.

"Wow. I'm the fire ninja yet I don't think I can outdo that burn." Kai snickered.

"Wanna test it out?" Lloyd offered the pink kunoichi to test out her mech's potential. In the blink of an eye, she hopped right onto the Volk Titan's back where the 'cockpit' was located.

Iris felt so many emotions at once sitting in the cockpit of her own mech. It was strange enough for a girly girl like her to be piloting this mechanical monstrosity. It could be useful in battle but first, she'll have to know how the control it. There are many different things that could go wrong if she makes the wrong decisions. For now, she chose to play it safe.

The lupine mech took one small step forward and the floor of the warehouse shook. Each mech had a massive amount of power and the ninja knew they'll have to be careful with them and the kunoichi of metal was no exception. However, there was one feature she wanted to test out. The head of the Volk Titan opened to reveal a cannon aiming right at the ninja.

"Whoa! You're supposed to be on our side!" Heather took the words out of everyone's mouths.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna turn it -" Iris tried to placate her teammates but accidentally pressed the button meant to activate the cannon and it sent a blast of energy at the ninja. The smoke cleared and the ninja were okay, albeit burned to a crisp.

"...On..." The pink kunoichi awkwardly finished.

"You're lucky it wasn't at full power." Lloyd grumbled and jumped atop the Volk Titan to check on the controls and power levels, "I installed the cannon as you wanted but it has a long charging time. That was just a small fraction of what it could do at full capacity."

"What do mean by 'small fraction'…?" Kai narrowed his eyes with suspicion at the green ninja.

The others felt concerned but can't decide why. It could be Lloyd potentially creating weapons of mass destruction or Iris designing a terrifying mech with enough power to destroy the city alone. Both were unsavory scenarios and it finally dawned on them what Lloyd was really doing and the ninja began to fear what the still young teen was truly capable of.

"Maybe you should test out the mech some other time." Luna suggested.

"Fine..." Iris relented and got off her mech.

"Are you sure Lloyd making all these mechs aren't going to… get to his head…?" Heather whispered to her teammates, who didn't know how to answer.

"We'll have to wait and see..." Jay tried coming up with one.

"Welp. That answers it for you. Lloyd's gonna snap one day." Cole whispered to Nya, who nodded.

* * *

Garmadon was back at it with yet another raid in the city. He piloted a mech taller than the one from his first battle with the Secret Ninja Force. Speaking of which, they all arrived at the scene with all the mechs that were done sans the still untested Volk Titan.

"Ninja-go." The Secret Ninja Force were so used to these raids they didn't bother to show enthusiasm with their motto and commenced their latest battle with the Shark Army. The silver kunoichi decided her mech was better off if there was any body of water nearby and set it on autopilot and joined the battle on foot with most of her companions.

"Show them no mercy!" Garmadon commanded his minions, "Don't stop until they're defeated! Tear them apart! Eliminate them!"

The Quake Mech making its debut contributed to the team by beating up the Shark Army mechs with its large arms and blowing them away with the intense beats of the black ninja's records spinning on the turntable.

"How do like my latest _hit_?" Cole boasted the moment the Quake Mech punched one of the minions' mechs in the face.

The Ice Tank also got to show what it can do. The ice cannon froze many enemy mechs in their tracks. The white ninja controlled the whole mech as if it were an extension of his own body and in a way, it was. He locked on some of the flying Shark Army mechs and sent an icy blast homing in on them and before they knew it, they were trapped in ice.

Even with the added firepower from the latest mechs, The ninja were almost bored fighting the Shark Army. It was all becoming the same: kick the minions' asses, get threatened by Garmadon, and stick in the background as Lloyd hogs all the glory. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

"How are you holding up?" Heather asked Aria and taking down an enemy with her mace that began to feel light in her hands without having to look at their face.

"I'm fine." The kunoichi of wind was now starting to feel that fighting with a her daggers became a bit too easy. It seems she now knows every trick in the book when using the short blades in combat.

Much sooner than he liked, which was never, Garmadon was dismayed by the Shark Army's failure to do as they were told. His tall mech was the only one he had left and it was outnumbered by the group of mechs the Secret Ninja Force had at their disposal.

"Face it, Garmadon! You're no match for us!" The red ninja boasted but the dark lord paid no heed to his words. He seemed preoccupied with the staring contest he was having with the green ninja. Even with his face covered, the ninja leader looked absolutely livid. Everyone remembered how he reacted in his first encounter with the dark lord and no one wanted _that_ to happen again.

'Oh boy, here we go.' Cole leaned back inside the Quake Mech, preparing for another meltdown from the green ninja.

"I was wondering how you escaped," Garmadon started yet didn't take his blood red eyes away from his mortal enemy, "But it doesn't matter. I'll keep fighting until I get what's coming to me."

Surprisingly, Lloyd was calm but that only made it all the more terrifying. The ninja didn't know what he was thinking and they can only assume the worst.

"You should know your place and back down. That way you could save yourself from more

"If you're so tough, then why not try and fight us yourselves? You already bothered to show your ugly mug here in the first place!"

Gasps from everyone except the dark lord and the green ninja echoed all over the city.

"Remember our bet that Lloyd's gonna get himself killed?" Aria whispered to Heather.

"Yeah?" The kunoichi of nature responded.

"It's been less than a year. Pay up."

"Is that a challenge?" Garmadon growled and his blood red eyes looked much more intimidating than they already were. Coupled with his exposed teeth, which were all sharp, the warmonger looked just like those demonic creatures that made little kids scared of going in the closet.

Lloyd didn't plan on repeating history but he had a hard time keeping himself from exploding. There's still so much he felt like saying or doing to the dark lord. Again, that strange fear silenced him and all he could do was stare back… until he summoned the courage to speak to his oblivious father.

"I-I'm not afraid of you!" The green ninja boasted though his brief stutter said otherwise.

"Take this. You might it." Garmadon mockingly tossed a chest plate at the green ninja, who managed to catch it even if the weight caused him to fall on his bottom.

 _Now_ Lloyd was pissed at the dark lord. First, he never bothered to be there for him and _now_ he gives him some advice but only to mock him. He's had enough.

"I don't need you or your stupid advice!" The green ninja threw the piece of armor with all the power he could muster.

CLANK!

The chest plate landed on the Mech Dragon's back _behind_ the green ninja, rolled off its body, and fell a long way down until the distant thud several seconds later echoed. The dark lord stared at the green ninja in stunned silence for many moments and then his face started to twitch.

Something was going to happen and everyone prepared themselves for the worst…

Garmadon's loud cackles echoed across the whole city, leaving everyone utterly speechless.

"Who taught you to throw like that!?" The dark lord guffawed.

If he had his mask off, everyone would've thought the green ninja's face was redder than a tart cherry. Lloyd felt his face heat up rapidly from both embarrassment and his blood boiling because of the dark lord's words.

'How dare he say something like that after abandoning me?' The green ninja's resentment towards his oblivious father only grew stronger.

"Did your dad ever teach you to throw!?"

Lloyd almost got an aneurysm just hearing that. He really has no idea who he's talking to. He wanted say something back but he was too pissed to talk. Even without that, Lloyd now knows better but the ninja weren't looking forward to his meltdown once this is all over.

"Taking over the city right now would be too easy! I prefer a challenge! If you're the only person that can protect Ninjago, then the people are gonna need all the luck they can get!" Garmadon continued rubbing salt on the wound before leaving.

And that left the ninja to prepare themselves for Lloyd's wrath at the hideout...

* * *

Once the ninja were back in the warehouse, the green ninja bellowed out a certain word that started with an F and ended with a K. His teammates shrunk back from his loud uproar yet he went on.

"He just had to bring up a dad!" Lloyd got started on what would be yet another lengthy rant about his family issues and threw off his mask. His messy hair somehow made him look more intimidating than he already was and just as they thought, his face was red with raw fury. His teammates weren't stupid enough to do so much as get close to him so they kept their distance while he headed straight towards his uncle and started ranting.

Master Wu was as calm as ever when Lloyd seated himself in front of him and complained to no one in particular. He knew his presence wouldn't make much of a difference and his nephew kept going.

"And he had the nerve to ask if I had a dad!" Lloyd slammed his fists on the small table sitting between him and his relative.

"Actually, he asked if your father figure taught you to throw." Zane needlessly corrected him and was miraculously ignored.

"Why do I even bother staying in this city!? If I leave, everyone would be celebrating and I'll finally be free from them! We'll all be happy! I don't want to live here anymore!"

"Master Wu, do something." Jay whispered to the ninja's mentor.

"Sometimes, it's better to give people some space to let out their anger," Wu answered, "It's actually unhealthy to ignore such feelings or try to repress them. Anger and all kinds of negative emotions are what makes us people. It's just how we manage them that could be dangerous."

The old man waited out his nephew's rant for what felt like hours.

"Are you done yet?" Nya asked in exasperation after the green ninja fell silent for at least one minute.

Lloyd didn't say anything but kept a straight face as he smashed the small table between him and his uncle in one fell swoop. His eyebrows twitched slightly but other than that, he seemed normal.

"I'll be fine." The green ninja sighed.

Well, that certainly worked out better than they thought.

* * *

Kai and Zane were sent out to search the city for any suspicious activities. Locals claim they have seen the Shark Army wandering about but no one can know for certain. They could've only been a bunch of hooligans from the streets wanting to cause trouble but the ninja swore an oath to help anyone who can't help themselves, no matter the situation.

"This is stupid!" The fire ninja tossed up his arms in frustration, "We have more important things to do besides snooping around like a bunch of creeps! This is all an elaborate prank by an attention whore! I should've known better!"

Kai would've continued his charade if Zane hadn't suddenly shushed him.

"What now?" The fiery ninja wasn't too thrilled to be interrupted.

"Something is happening." The nindroid kept his optics focused on a spectacle not to far from where he and Kai lurked.

People gathered around one of the Two-Eleven convenience stores in the city like something big was taking place inside. Zane used his X-ray vision to see what was going on inside and observed the cause of the sudden uproar.

Dogshank, one of the most notorious criminals in all of Ninjago, held everyone in the building hostage. For what reason, Zane kept observing to find out.

"Nobody move or I'll kill everyone in this building!" Dogshank threatened the public. Everyone inside were too frightened to disobey him and let him take all the food, money, and anything of value.

"Zane, what's going on?" Kai urged the nindroid to show him what he's seeing.

The ice ninja projected a hologram from his optics and played the scenes he just witnessed for his ally to see. The moment Kai saw the whole thing, all he could think about was putting and end to it.

"We must help them." The ice ninja didn't hesitate to head over there.

The fire ninja silently agreed and followed him. Similar to the nindroid, Kai had a strong instinct to help anyone in need for anything from classmates needing help in schoolwork to just a child whose balloon was caught in a tree. However, this was much more serious and he felt more compelled than ever to free the innocent civilians and put Dogshank's crimes to an end.

At the crime scene, Dogshank continued terrorizing the locals trapped in the store. With everyone too scared to do anything, he went around doing as he pleased, which was being on the wrong side of the law. He would've gotten away with it if it weren't for what happened next.

"Hold it right there!" A loud voice shouted from seemingly out of nowhere.

Everyone was surprised to see two of the ninja. They usually dealt with Garmadon's forces and seeing them here was pretty odd but for now, they could be the only ones here who can stop Dogshank.

"Stop whatever you're doing and we could do this the easy way." The red ninja started.

"This is none of your business, brats!" Dogshank spat at them.

"As ninja, we are protectors of the city and defend its citizens from any harm, be it from Garmadon or average criminals. We must answer the people's cries for help." The white ninja said while refusing to back off.

"I'd call it quits if I were you." The red ninja glowered at the criminal.

"What are you gonna do about it? You're gonna just prance around with those toys and then call it a day. You're just a couple of phonies."

No one would've expected what happened next.

The red ninja suddenly swooped in and punched Dogshank right in his ugly face. The criminal fought back with his bare hands and the white ninja quickly joined in by restraining the criminal, who found himself on the receiving end of the red ninja's wrath.

"You will not cause any more trouble for Ninjago." The white ninja told him in an icy cold voice.

"Let me go!" The criminal elbowed the white ninja hard on the stomach. The pain was unlike anything Zane felt but he was more determined to put an end to Dogshank's crimes and kept his hold on him, letting Kai continue his beatdown. Dogshank still managed to fight back via kicks and headbutts but Kai had no intentions on letting up.

The cops _finally_ arrived to arrest the wanted criminal who couldn't escape from the ninja. They really were a lot stronger than they appeared.

"I would've never thought you'd deal with people like him." The police remarked.

"It is our duty to protect the citizens from any harm." The white ninja answered calmly.

Meanwhile, the citizens celebrated the duo for saving them.

"Thank you so much!"

"You truly are heroes!"

The ninja were pleasantly surprised by all the praise the locals were giving them for doing something they weren't meant to do. The ninja, especially the one in red, basked in the attention and adoration.

"If you're in need of any help, remember, heroes are on the way!" The red ninja winked at the crowds, especially the girls. Too bad he didn't see where he was going and his back collided against the edge of the doors.

"T-that was deliberate!" The hot-blooded ninja tried to save face while the white ninja led him away.

* * *

The ninja and ice and fire returned to the warehouse and were greeted by Master Wu standing before the entrance. If his stern expression was any indication, they were in big trouble.

"Before you say anything, we saw what happened in the news." Iris told them from a distance.

"Uh… we can explain." Kai tried to come up with an alibi.

Much to the duo's surprise, their teacher's face softened as he led them inside.

"Your duty as ninja is to protect this city from harm and that is exactly what you did." Wu commended his students'

Wu's apprentices were taken aback by what he said but it wouldn't make much of a different. The old man kept going with his speech explaining their duty as ninja.

"Garmadon and his underlings aren't the only threats that befall Ninjago City. There are more people who choose to walk down the path of darkness and will bring discord to the city and it is up to those who protect others who can't protect themselves to make sure they won't plunge the city into chaos. That is your duty as a ninja and you managed to uphold it."

"So they're not in trouble?" Lloyd chimed in.

"No." Wu bluntly answered.

"But isn't that what the cops are for?" Luna asked, "They're the ones who go after criminals and we're supposed to stop Garmadon and the Shark Army."

"If Master Wu considered it necessary to have a group of ninja protecting the city, would you think the cops are doing a good job?" Nya answered the kunoichi of sound with another question.

"Um… no…?"

"I rest my case."

"But if we're also gonna have to add stopping crimes on our list, that'll only make it more difficult."

"There's no such thing as an easy job," Wu reminded the purple kunoichi, "To be a ninja is to endure. That is exactly what the word 'ninja' means."

"Great. Now we're gonna do other people's work." Lloyd wasn't too pleased with the extra workload.

"But it's the right thing to do, yadda yadda," Cole replied, "You can't have everything go your way. It's one of those things where you just gotta deal with it."

And just like that, the Secret Ninja Force also become stand-ins for the cops.

Then again, what good do cops do these days?

* * *

 **Seriously, do cops even do their jobs anymore? But I digress. Hope you all like this chapter & of course, there's more action in the future & review.**


	85. Dare to Dream

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Here's another update! This chapter will focus on Luna & she gets to be prettied up but at the same time, we'll see an uglier side to her but some of the ninja will still get their fair share of the spotlight. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 84: Dare to Dream

It was yet another day at Ninjago High… or that's what everyone besides the music club believed. The club members frantically made preparations for the Steadfast Tin Soldier musical that was premiering next Friday.

"Luna! I got the costume ready!" Rumi showed the aspiring idol the tutu she'll wear for the play, "Go get dressed! I wanna see how you look in it!"

Luna didn't hesitate to change from her usual clothes into the ballerina costume in the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in front of the mirror and was thankful that Rumi had enough skills in design to rival even the most famous of fashion designers. Not only did she make the tutu but she also made a matching tiara to really make her stand out.

'Okay. This is it, Luna. This could be your lucky break so don't mess this up.' The shy girl gave herself a small pep talk and emerged.

Cole was amazed by the sight of Luna dressed up in her costume for the musical. She looked just like the dainty yet elegant dancers his father sometimes forced him to watch. Resentment against his dad aside, he was happy for his teammate and can't deny how beautiful she looked.

Luna's pinkish white tutu was made of the most delicate silk, tulle, and gauze and was decorated with crystals, metallic beading, and shimmering embroidery. The skirt subtly shaped like delicate petals was in the classical style and sparkled with glitter and the white tulle gave it a dainty look. The bodice was decorated with a filigree of embroidery and sequins and the top was trimmed with lace. The tiara had a floral pattern made from pale pink crystals and pearls. Finally, the most important part of the outfit was the spangle tied around the ballerina's waist from the original tale which Rumi stylized into a rose made of metallic fabric to look like silver and had a pattern of white stars strewn within the petals and was fastened by a thin white sash.

"You're looking good." The earth ninja complimented his comrade.

"R-really…? I- Uh… Rumi's the one who… Um… Aw man..." Luna was already tongue-tied by the black ninja's compliment about her looks.

"Luna! You gotta perform in a four minutes!" Brad interrupted the moment between them.

Griffin looked dashing in his soldier uniform also made by Rumi but knowing his true nature, the timid ballerina didn't swoon.

"Luna, stop frowning like your dog died. We gotta cram in all the hard work we can before the big day. Go out there and give it your all." Brad goaded her to continue practicing for the play.

As always, Luna sang and danced while Cole helped out wherever he was needed from setting up the props to controlling the lighting. Throughout the time the music club had, Cole had this strange sense of apprehension, almost like something bad was going to happen. It wasn't solely about the musical, he just had a feeling some sort of mishap will occur sooner or later.

With today's rehearsals finished, Brad gathered everyone around for one final pep talk.

"Okay guys. This is our biggest project yet so we're gonna have to give it our all for the next few days. I want all of you to work your asses off until the big day now hurry before -"

Before Brad could finish, the bell rang but he wasn't done yet.

"Looks like we're gonna have to meet up at my place after this," The music club leader continued, "We still have a lot of work to do, especially the actors. Griffin and Luna, as the main characters, you should come over and do some more rehearsals and practice."

"O-okay..." The female lead complied.

"And this could be your big break," Griffin joined in, making Luna tense, "With so many people such as your friends and family watching, you don't want to let them down, do you?"

The kunoichi of sound refused to speak to him and it wouldn't make a difference anyway. The arrogant lead wouldn't stop talking about the risks of failure or any last minute mishaps. She tried not to give in to his mean words but as insufferable as Griffin may be, he still made a valid point. She's been waiting for her big break ever since she joined the music club and this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. If the musical becomes a success, she'll be guaranteed her dream career and everything she hoped for will finally be within her grasp.

Out of the corner of her hazel eye, Luna could see Cole though she couldn't read his expression. The earth ninja looked… almost upset. She had no idea why he wouldn't be happy. He loved music just as much as she does, if not, even more than her. Then again, there were those things he said about the idol industry being full of liars and sellouts.

Is that who he thinks she'll turn out to be?

'But this is what _I_ want, right? Why should I let someone else dictate what I'm going to be?' The timid girl shook off her concerns before realizing she'll have to go to Brad's place around the same time the ninja come together to train and that only created a bigger emotional dilemma for her.

Luna then remembered her decision to join the Secret Ninja Force. She often wondered if she's meant to do something more than singing and dreaming. But this was her one chance to achieve something she's yearned for as long as she can remember…

Nine ninja's already more than enough and it's still fairly recent since Garmadon attacked the city and knowing him, it could take a while for him to regain his strength before trying again. Sure, there's also the petty crimes Master Wu now made the ninja work on too but compared to what the Secret Ninja Force have gone through up until now, they can handle it. If only one of them, who happens to be the least competent, doesn't show up for training, it wouldn't make much of a difference.

'Maybe just one day won't hurt...'

* * *

The Secret Ninja Force met up at the warehouse and were already getting suited up for training before one of them realized something was amiss.

"Wait a sec. Where's Luna?" Nya looked around and indeed, the purple kunoichi was nowhere in sight.

"We all live life at our own pace so maybe she's running a bit late." Aria suggested.

"It's been twenty minutes. Not even a slow person would be _this_ late." Jay pointed out.

"There is the possibility she has fallen ill." Zane gave his hypothesis.

"She couldn't be. We were in music club together." Cole debunked the nindroid's theory.

"Yeah," Iris added, "And we talked in school before that and she was fine."

"Is she skipping?" Kai cracked his knuckles menacingly. The others suddenly feared that Luna may not be long for this world…

"Perhaps this is only a clue of what's to come..." Master Wu whispered to himself.

"Did you say something?" Lloyd asked his uncle.

"It is of little importance," The old man brushed off his nephew's question, "We have no choice but to continue training without Luna. This isn't the first time you have trained with the absence of an ally."

"If she's sick, that's understandable but from what Cole and Iris said, she isn't! That selfish bitch is off in her own world! The next time I see that bimbo, I'm gonna make her want to stay there forever!" Kai still fumed over Luna's absence.

"Save it for when you actually meet up with her." Nya placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. She felt the same way but knew having an outburst won't do her any good.

Jay and Zane found themselves working on the construction of Luna's mech, which was ironic because the kunoichi of sound didn't bother to show up today.

"If Luna _is_ skipping, I don't blame her." Jay started.

"Why do you feel that way?" The naive Zane asked.

"Think about it. We're just a bunch of teenagers who act as the only defense between Lord Garmadon and Ninjago City. If that doesn't sound scary enough, having to hide it from everyone will put a ton of pressure on you and maybe Luna finally cracked."

"I do not understand what you mean by that. Luna's body is too soft to crack."

"Uh… I know you're kinda missing the point but what you just said felt oddly prophetic..."

The nindroid only tilted his head innocently which only made it more disturbing for the blue ninja.

"As I was saying," Jay cleared his throat before continuing, "All the pressure of being a ninja is a lot to handle. Sometimes, _I_ feel overwhelmed by everything that's going on and I can't stop thinking about what's gonna happen next."

"No one can know what the future holds for certain..."

"I know. That's also why I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle whatever comes next."

"I do not consider myself an optimist but we have survived more than one encounter with Garmadon himself. Knowing his reputation in the city, it is an incredible feat. From what we have seen of Master Wu, he may have his reasons for selecting us to be ninja and no one else."

"I still can't help but think it's only because Lloyd kinda dragged us into it and Luna learned about the Secret Ninja Force because I blabbed about it in front of her."

"But Master Wu did not decline her and even insisted for her to join when she expressed her doubts. Perhaps it is still too early to judge. We shall wait and see what she might do next and if possible, we could talk with her and let her explain the reason of her absence."

"I kinda lost track of what you said but I think I get the gist."

"What is a gist?"

"It's… uh… never mind..." Jay dismissed the naive nindroid and they resumed work on the mechs. The blue ninja also gave a silent prayer that Luna will live to see her next birthday as long as she avoids Kai.

* * *

A group of delinquents went about the downtown area of Ninjago City, causing trouble wherever they can simply because it entertained them. They don't give a damn about any rules, all that mattered was that they had all the time in the world to do whatever the hell they want. They were bored with pretty much everything going around them. Those kind of people were too easy to mess with until they saw a group of kids playing with their new spinning ninja toys.

And that made them easy prey.

"Hey! Give it back!" The kids cried when the delinquents yanked the toys away from them.

"Give what back?" The bullies taunted the little ones.

"Give it back!" The children continued begging for their toys and even their parents stepped in to get their kids' trinkets back. The delinquents then decided things were getting too boring and decided to turn things up a bit…

SMASH!

The thugs threw the toys across the sidewalk, letting the momentum and impact smash them into tiny pieces. They got their fix of schadenfreude when the kids wailed and the parents called them names they've already heard of like 'monster' or 'jerk'.

"You've had enough fun for today!" A voice from out of nowhere shouted at the hooligans.

It was the orange and teal kunoichi, having arrived from out of nowhere and unnoticed until now.

"So… we're gonna act like we never see them until they say something?" Some locals were disturbed by how complicit the people of Ninjago City can be.

"And what are you girls gonna do about it?" The gangsters taunted the kunoichi, even having a childish sing-song voice when saying 'girls'.

The pair quickly glanced at one another as if asking, 'You thinking what I'm thinking?'

And they knew exactly what to do.

"NINJA-GO!" The duo rushed into battle and now everyone stopped to see how this will go.

Heather held up her mace, ready to pummel the baddies.

"Can't wait to see you swing like a girl!" One of the delinquents made fun of the kunoichi of nature.

The teal kunoichi didn't hesitate to swing the mace… at the menace's knees.

"How's that? Makes you want to swing like a girl, huh?" The mace wielder taunted him.

The orange kunoichi relied on speed alone to distract the gangsters and perhaps tire them out before she strikes.

"Can't catch me!" The impetuous girl egged on the delinquents. She wouldn't stop jumping or running around, giving them a hard time until they were worn down from the constant chasing. The kunoichi of wind then seized her moment and kicked them right in their backs.

It was tough work but the delinquents had their asses handed to them by the Secret Ninja Force. The fact that there were only girls only twisted the knife even further.

Even if they won, the kunoichi still collapsed from exhaustion. Even after all the training they've gone through, fighting bad guys can be really tough work.

"I still can't believe Master Wu's making us do this sort of stuff. It's not something you'd expect ninja to do." Heather panted.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Aria wheezed.

The duo then realized they were still out in public and being watched.

"What are we supposed to say?" The orange kunoichi whispered to her teammate.

"How should I know? We always just leave and staying here is only making it worse!" The teal kunoichi hissed back.

"Uh… Until next time!" The two kunoichi made their exit but it was nowhere near as dynamic as their entrance. They ended up tripping on each other and dropping their weapons. They scrambled to pick up their arsenal and made a run for it.

It may have been an awkward ending but hey. Heroes or not, nobody's perfect.

* * *

Luna's day started off as usual. She got up, took Lorelei on her morning walk, ate breakfast, and rode the bus to school. After that, things took a very strange turn. The kunoichi of sound barely walked two feet inside the school before she got tackled down by a strange force seemingly from out of nowhere. The rest of the school was taken aback by the sudden ambush and gathered around the spectacle to see what's going on.

"Kai!?" Luna was shocked to find out her assaulter was the red ninja himself. He was already infamous for his quick temper and everyone else began chanting for him to fight.

"Kai, what are you doing!?" Luna struggled to free herself but couldn't escape from the much stronger teen's hold.

The fire ninja was literally screaming gibberish at his teammate.

"You're not making any sense!"

Kai continued yelling random words before picking up the kunoichi of sound like a bag of flour and ran off towards the back of the school where no one will hear what he had to say. Once he got away from prying eyes, he threw Luna to the ground and let her have it.

"How dare you skip training!" Kai roared in Luna's face.

"What are you saying!?" The purple kunoichi was still shocked by the fire ninja's accusation.

"Don't play dumb! You've been skipping our training sessions and after swearing to protect Ninjago!" The fire ninja's rage didn't let up.

At first Luna was frightened by the hothead's outburst but after witnessing it so many times, her fear quickly changed to anger.

"Since when did you care about what I do!?" The purple kunoichi argued back.

"Have you already forgotten our vow!? We're supposed to protect the city from Garmadon and you go off to sing and dance in your own little world!? And you have the nerve to call yourself a kunoichi!"

"I have all the time in the world to train for something that won't come true and this could be my only chance to achieve my lifelong dream!"

"So that's what this is all about!? So you can make your own stupid fantasies a reality!?"

"And what do you have to say for yourself!? What do you even do besides going berserk or beating up Lloyd's bullies!? You're one to talk!"

"Hey! At least I know what's truly important!"

"My ambitions are important to me!"

"So what next? Now you think you're the most important person in all of Ninjago!?"

"Kai!" Nya's voice interrupted the intense argument.

Nya knew Kai was gonna do something traumatic to Luna and stepped in to intervene along with Zane. The silver kunoichi grabbed her brother while the ice ninja led Luna away from the chaos.

"Kai, that's enough!" The kunoichi of water scolded her sibling.

"I'm not through with her yet!" The fire ninja thrashed in his sister's hold, "She has to pay for this! Let me go!"

While Nya dragged Kai away, Zane tried to placate their less assertive teammate.

"Luna, try to understand. It is our duty to protect others. There is no room for selfishness." The white ninja spoke in a calm yet firm tone.

"I don't know why I'm still in this team if I can't do any of this ninja stuff!" Luna complained.

"It was our choice to form the Secret Ninja Force. Try and remember why you joined in the first place." Zane reminded her of the choice she made.

Luna's memories of joining the team to find out if she has other things going for her besides aspiring to be an idol was still as clear as day but lately, she started to doubt her choice.

"And what if it was the wrong choice?" Luna asked in an eerily calm voice.

"I cannot decide if you believe being a kunoichi is right for you or not. At least consider how others will feel because of your actions." Zane tried to come up with a feasible answer.

"Why would they care? They don't know anything about me."

"And that is why we are all part of one team. We must learn more about each other in order to work together as one. In a way you are right. We do not know much about you but if you give us a chance, that could change. We all have been judged by others who know little about us. I have experienced it many times. You must remember that you are not the only one with negative experiences."

"But Master Wu said everyone's experiences are different."

"I am sorry but there is nothing else I can say to help you. What will happen next depends entirely on your actions." Now the nindroid sounded exasperated by Luna's reluctance. His gentle expression soon changed to a stern look and he silently left the kunoichi of sound to her own devices.

Luna still wasn't sure if she should stay with the ninja. So far, it didn't seem to serve her any good and the ninja were already able to handle their missions without her. But if she quits now, her fear of being a good-for-nothing bimbo will also come true and she didn't want that either.

This was a fine situation the kunoichi of sound has gotten herself into...

* * *

Lloyd and Iris spent lunchtime at the rooftop discussing what went on between their teammates.

"I wasn't there at the time but I heard rumors that Kai and Luna got in a big fight." Lloyd started.

"I'd understand if it was Kai with someone else but Luna doesn't seem like the confrontational type." Iris added.

"You never know..."

"And this is school life we're talking about. People here are bound to stretch the truth."

"But do you really think Kai and Luna fought with each other?"

"It's more likely they argued. Probably about Luna being absent from training the other day."

"Definitely. Kai was super pissed about it."

"Since when is he _not_ super pissed about anything?"

"Good point. But the main problem is that Luna skipped out on us but I guess I can understand why."

"What do you mean?"

"Even I sometimes feel like all this ninja stuff isn't worth it. I didn't join the Secret Ninja Force to save the same people who bullied me all my life. If it were up to me, I'd let them get beaten up or perhaps give them a piece of my mind."

"And what's stopping you?"

"I don't want to stoop to the same level as _him…_ but as much as I hate him, he's still my dad and that's what makes it so hard. I don't want to be like him in any way and want him out of my life… but I wind up asking myself 'Is this what I really want?' I know what it feels like but I can't find the right words."

"It's like there's one half of me that wants to cut off Garmadon from my life, kinda like why my Mom left him. And then there's another half of me that _wants_ to have him around and even _yearn_ for him. It makes me feel, I don't know, unsure of myself and kind of at a loss over who I am. I hate him but at the same time… want things to be better between us…? But that only makes it even worse."

"What do think that makes you?"

"I… don't know..."

Iris knew nothing she could say will help Lloyd. No one else had been through the same thing as Lloyd, or no one she knows of. Even if there's someone who did, it will take a lot more than one discussion to give him some sort of answer.

"You know what? Just ask Master Wu," Iris abruptly told him, "He's the one who's always giving out all those cryptic speeches. If there's anyone who could help you figure it out, it's him."

"I guess you're right… for once..."

"Keep talking and I'm gonna make you my personal training dummy."

Lloyd scoffed at the pink kunoichi's threat once she had her back turned. After Iris left, the green ninja winced when an all too familiar pain struck his chest. With heavy precaution, he peeked at the flesh of his chest and there it was. Right next to the dot of pitch black skin was a second identical dark spot. If the first one was an indication, he may have more in common with Garmadon than he thought.

"Dammit..."

* * *

 **What do you think? Since I started revamping my OC's for this story, I planned for Luna to have a selfish streak & she _will_ face consequences for it later. Until next time, review!**


	86. Dream VS Reality

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Merry Christmas everyone! Here, we'll see the consequences of Luna skipping though the big stuff will come later. Plus, I'm gonna put up a Christmas special later today! Until then, read on!**

* * *

Chapter 85: Dream VS Reality

"I should've known." Cole muttered when he was forced to listen to Kai's tirade against the kunoichi of sound. The earth ninja had a hunch the whole time that Luna skipped training in favor of practicing for the musical. She always showed more enthusiasm at the music club than when she was learning more about being a ninja but until recently, it hadn't crossed his mind that she would skip. Sure, if she truly loves singing and dancing, then good for her but he was astonished by how selfish she was.

"And she wouldn't shut up about her stupid dreams like a damn princess!" Kai kept spewing insults at the purple kunoichi who (wisely) didn't sit with them during lunch.

"Easy there, Spike." Nya was as stoic as ever towards her brother's fiery temper.

"Now that we know, m-maybe she won't do it again…?" Jay tried to be optimistic but the sinister glare from the fire ninja shut him up.

"I don't blame Kai," Heather sided with the temperamental ninja, "I'm actually still pissed Luna would do something like that. I thought if anyone would skip out on training first, it'll be Lloyd."

"Now don't go and drag Lloyd into this." Iris responded.

"What's the matter? Could it be you _like_ him?" Aria teased.

"No! He's already a whiny pissbaby and the last thing we need from him is more wangst! And why is it that if a girl does so much as mention a guy, it's automatically romance-related? It's stupid!" The girly girl ranted.

"It was just a joke! Sheesh!" The kunoichi of wind backed off.

"Moving on," Nya diverted the conversation back to the main issue, "Now that we know what she did, we're gonna have to make sure Luna doesn't do it again."

"Stop fretting over her. We're in the same club so I'll talk to her." Cole volunteered to talk some sense into the timid kunoichi.

"Hmph. Good luck with that." Kai scoffed.

The earth ninja rolled his eyes at the fire ninja's judgemental behavior. Even before confronting Luna, he knew what was really going on. He was gonna get to the bottom of this, whether the music-loving girl liked it or not...

* * *

While most of the students went home, plenty more remained for their after-school activities and that included the members of the music club. But before one of them could get started, she was stopped by a fellow club member.

"Luna, I need to talk to you for a sec." Cole beckoned Luna to follow him outside before she could get dressed for rehearsals.

"N-not now..." The kunoichi of sound wasn't in the mood to talk with him, especially not at the same place Kai verbally tore her apart.

"I wasn't asking." He commanded in a very intimidating voice Luna never heard from him before. For once, she was scared of the same person she looked up to since she started high school. She ended up following him but not wholly out of her free will.

The black ninja wasn't one for sugarcoating the truth and he wasn't going to waste any time telling it like it is the moment they were outside.

"I know why you didn't show up for training the other day." Cole started.

"Of course. Kai already told you." Luna dismissed him.

"No. I had a feeling you'd end up being a sellout for your fifteen minutes of fame the whole time. I was hoping you knew better than that."

"I thought you would understand. This musical is very important to me."

"And so is being a ninja. You can't get everything you want. Stop acting like a brat and think about how the rest of us feel."

"You go around not caring what anyone else says or think so why can't you let me do the same!?"

"This is different! I still don't know why Master Wu chose us when he could've recruited some adults who have more experience! I was hoping all of us would know that but thanks to you, I now know that hope only leads to disappointment. You really let us down."

Cole's expression was cold and in turn, he had never seen Luna look so upset in the time he knew her. The tension was so heavy it could be cut by a dull butter knife. The purple kunoichi took deep breaths that grew rapidly until she was huffing and the black ninja predicted a meltdown.

"Fine! I don't need you! I can achieve my dreams without you or anyone else!" Luna shouted and her vision blurred as angry tears filled and stung her eyes. Before they could escape, she rushed back into the school. The black ninja remained stoic through it all. Even if he lost respect for Luna because of her choice, he wasn't entirely unsympathetic of her plight. His father constantly oppressed him for daring to be different from him. He just wants to be who he is, and Luna was probably the same. But that's all they had when it comes to similarities.

Cole didn't have to do much for the upcoming musical and he didn't want to stay here any longer. He should just do everyone a favor and sit this one out for today. Usually, he went out to find a nice place to eat but today, he didn't have much of an appetite. It was only until later did he start to think that he might have been a little too harsh on the timid girl.

'No. She needed to hear what I had to say.' He shook off the slight guilt of saying those things to her.

Besides, he had much worse things thrown at him by his own father and no doubt Lloyd goes through the same thing every single day. Obviously, Cole wasn't planning on heading home any time soon. Too bad there wasn't much for him to do today.

* * *

Back in Ninjago High, Luna fiercely rubbed away her tears in the bathroom. She felt a part of her very soul die after her argument with Cole. She didn't understand it. She should be happy to finally get her big break and nothing could stop yet… that is until now.

The purple kunoichi was sure it had to do with Cole. Being a fellow music lover, she thought he would be supportive or at least understanding of her desires. Too bad things didn't go as she expected. The strong teen seemed more upset with her than the rest of the team and she experienced firsthand how Kai handles anyone backing out in ninja training.

Maybe Cole isn't that great of a person. He's the one who think idols have problems and what he said blew the image of him being a completely supportive role model out the window. It made her feel like the lengths she had gone to achieve her dream was all for naught.

But since when did she want to become and idol for his sake?

It's been her lifelong ambition and she can do it without him.

'Why should I care? I don't need him! I'm in charge of my own destiny!'

Luna checked the mirror one last time to make sure her face wasn't red and headed back to the music club before Brad could turn the whole school upside-down to find her.

* * *

Aria stared at the ceiling above her room, unable to take her mind out of what Luna did and why she's letting it affect her.

If what Kai said is true, then Luna really did skip. She never told anyone but the thought of it crossed mind more than once before the purple kunoichi beat her to it. She actually knew how Luna felt. The constant training and missions don't seem to be getting her anywhere besides being a badass. As cool as it it, that wasn't the reason why she joined nor did she care a whole lot about that. She became a kunoichi to find out if there was some sort of purpose for her, a reason why she's… who she is. So far, she was only getting colder in finding the answer.

'What good is being a ninja if nothing really changed?' The orange kunoichi didn't bother to ask aloud. Even if she did and if she had company, she won't find the answer.

The only thing that came out of it were the interesting things that happen every now and then and the ninja are still sent to put an end to them. It was kind of ironic. Aria constantly yearned for something different in her life and now that she has it, it only made her feel even more empty. She's been asking herself even more questions over her choices than she did before becoming a kunoichi.

'Why is life so confusing…?'

Aria considered talking to Master Wu about these strange feelings but in the end, it won't do her any good. That old geezer will most likely give out a bunch of cryptic nonsense only Zane had any hopes of deciphering. The olive-skinned girl pondered over what kind of drivel Wu would tell her.

"The answers were right in front of you the whole time," The kunoichi of wind mockingly imitated the ninja's mentor, "There's something I haven't told you."

"Aria, who are you talking to?" Her mother asked behind her bedroom door.

"Nothing!" The capricious girl was flustered over getting caught mimicking Master Wu. Coincidentally, it was almost time for her to start training. Looks like she'll get to hear Wu actually tell the ninja about something he didn't tell them before.

* * *

Lloyd was back at the hospital getting his second 'mole' checked out. Just like the first one, the results came back as benign and claiming there were no anomalies on that dot of black flesh.

"This is very disturbing..." Koko had an ominous premonition when Lloyd got his first 'mole' and now that a second one has appeared and is completely identical, she can only think of one thing.

'No…! They may be related but they're not the same person!' She tried to focus on the topic at hand.

"We're still trying to figure out what it is," The doctors said, "Sometimes, new moles happen to show up all of a sudden and we would think this is one of those cases but they usually confirm a change in the pigmentation of the flesh. This one, however, appears as if Lloyd's skin was _meant_ to be that way."

'Meant to be that way…?' Lloyd rubbed the new blemish as a sense of dread clouded his mind, 'Am I really gonna end up like _him_?

Nightmarish images of himself with black skin and even four arms flashed before his emerald eyes. He certainly didn't want to end up looking like him but another thought popped up which only made it all the more terrifying. A small part of himself Lloyd may not even know was there actually wanted it. Yes, he was tempted to give the people who ostracized him over such a flimsy reason a piece of his mind. Heck, that's kind of why he joined the Secret Ninja Force in the first place. Revenge was indeed a very tempting thing but Lloyd didn't want to be just like Garmadon, not even if he can get even with all the bullies who made his whole life a living hell.

"Mom, is something bad happening to me…?" Lloyd turned to his mother for advice and perhaps a bit of comfort in this tense moment.

"I don't know," The former warrior was at a loss over how to help her son and she felt more ashamed of herself than frightened of the dark implications his new 'development' had brought, "Lloyd, please remember that no matter what you look like, you're you, no matter what."

Those words didn't mean much to the green ninja anymore. His mother told him that many times yet no one else besides his closest friends give him a chance to show his true self.

"Mom, what would you do if I end up looking just like Garmadon?" Lloyd asked his mother once they got home.

"I… I'm not sure..." Koko tried to imagine Lloyd looking like her ex-husband, from the completely black skin to having four arms. The images her mind conjured only made her feel even more unnerved, "But there are much more important things to a person besides looks. All I can say is that you'll still be my son and I know you will never be just like your father in every way."

'But what if I want that…?' The green ninja still can't shake off his desire for revenge.

And what if it's because he does want to follow in his father's footsteps?

No, that's not it. Maybe he does have more in common with the nefarious warlord than he realizes or wishes to believe. He'll probably disappoint his mother, who left the dark lord to raise him away from his evil influence but that could end up being in vain. He didn't want to let his mother down because even if she's the one who decided to raise him among lifelong bullies. She probably wasn't expecting it either so it couldn't be helped on that part. Nonetheless, she still did so much for him, more than the dark lord ever could if she did decide to stay with him.

Did leaving him really make that much of a difference?

Lloyd _and_ Koko will have to wait and see...

* * *

Zane just finished his shift at the Petite Corner. After his victory over Aria in their little cook-off, the ice ninja was a little more confident that the locals liked his food if the onslaught of positive reviews that came in after he started working here indicated anything. But he wasn't going to stop just yet. He still worked hard to continue honing his culinary prowess just as much as his skills in archery and the way of the ninja.

"Heather? I am pleasantly surprised to see you here." Zane spotted Heather finishing up her meal.

"Business was slow today so I got to leave early." The kunoichi of nature answered while finishing the last bite of her hamburger steak.

The pair had some time left before training but they weren't sure what to do until Heather thought of something. She visited Dr. Julien in his apartment and the least she can do is return the favor.

"You've already shown me your place so why don't I show you mine?" Heather offered to take Zane to her house.

"Will your parents not like intruders?"

"You'll never be an intruder. You're my friend."

"A friend…?" The nindroid still struggled to get accustomed to being considered an acquaintance with anyone. Perhaps it's an effect from being judged and ridiculed as just a lifeless machine for years.

"Are you gonna come to my house or not?" Heather asked, having already walked several feet without the nindroid.

"It will be a pleasure." Zane followed the kunoichi of nature.

The pair walked through the city and into one of the residential areas within the more quiet outskirts of Ninjago City. Heather finally stopped at one of the townhouses which Zane correctly assumed to be her abode.

"Mom, Dad! I'm home!" The teal kunoichi greeted her parents upon her return.

"Did you bring a new friend?" The middle-aged woman who could only be Heather's mother noticed the strange young man who followed her daughter back home.

"This is Zane Julien. He and I have been friends for a while." Heather introduced her parents and Zane to one another.

"It is an incredible honor to meet the family of my good friend. I apologize if I am being a burden." The ever polite android greeted the teal kunoichi's parents.

"Of course you're not! It's so wonderful to have visitors!" Heather's father welcomed him.

Zane noticed Heather heading for the back of the house.

"Is there something significant behind your house?" Zane asked almost all of a sudden, throwing the teal kunoichi off guard.

The garden was completely filled with all kinds of flowers from common lilies to the lesser known ones such as gentianas. It would take at least an hour for Zane to scan and identify each species of flower. He still respected the level of passion Heather had for flowers and the natural world. It must be nice to have something one can have such dedication to. He may be devoted to his occupation as a ninja and his purpose to help others but it wasn't the same as Heather's love for flowers. He wasn't sure what it was. Even with all the information programmed into him, there was still so much more the white ninja has yet to truly understand.

"I still wonder if I should bring the Northern Grace flower here..." Heather's thoughts drifted back to the rare flower she discovered alongside Zane, probably because this was the first time she was in her garden with the nindroid.

"Did you not say you would like it to be our little secret?" The ice ninja reminded her of what she said when they first found it.

"Yeah, but I'm still tempted to take it and plant it here." The teal kunoichi imagined what the Northern Grace would look like here in the middle of her garden. It would certainly stand out… just like Zane.

And then there was a strange feeling in her chest. Heather never felt it before and certainly not while thinking about anyone or anything besides the nindroid. It's true he was like no other but every single person in Ninjago was unique. But maybe that's the reason. There's certainly no one else like Zane and not just because he's an android. The main problem is that Heather didn't know what this feeling was and her duties as a kunoichi probably won't give her the answers.

* * *

Luna came for training today but the damage was already done. Most of her teammates gave her the cold shoulder and no one would spar with her, much less even be within four feet from her. Not even the kindly Zane seemed willing to sit next to the kunoichi of sound, mostly because the others would drag him away if he tried. The only people who were willing to give her any sort of company was Varjo and Master Wu. Predictably, the purple kunoichi complained to her teacher while the little dog rested on her lap.

"I hate it!" The kunoichi of sound complained to her teacher during the ninja's break, "I finally get the big break I'm looking for and then Cole and the others don't want me to have it!"

"There is a difference between wants and needs. You have your own needs too, whether you know it or not. Humans _are_ selfish by nature. It is only by creating a balance with yourself and others that you will achieve harmony from within."

"But Cole gets to go around listening to music all day so why can't I perform in a musical!?"

"There is nothing wrong with pursuing your wants. It is prioritizing what you want over what you need when you need it most that can lead to disastrous consequences. Garmadon could attack at any given time and we must stay on guard."

"That's not the only issue. Now everyone's avoiding me. I showed up for training today. Isn't that good enough?" The kunoichi of sound

"Fixing bridges is not a simple task," The elderly mentor told his recently ostracized pupil, "You need to prove you are truly ready to set your wants aside for what is truly important. You know, I have thought about what you're going through at the moment and it is all too familiar."

"What do you mean?" Luna couldn't figure out what her teacher meant. He was always unnecessarily cryptic but she had no idea her situation could be similar to

"Your current situation reminds me of a certain someone." Master Wu's old eyes shifted towards the green ninja who was preoccupied with building the last three mechs.

"You mean Lloyd…?" The shy girl followed his gaze to the outcast.

"While it's for different reasons, perhaps living in my nephew's shoes could give you more perspective on what you already have and what you truly need."

Luna never really thought about what Lloyd went through all his life. Her experiences right now is just one small hint at what his life was like for years. She really did have it easy compared to him.

"I can tell there's a lot going on in your head," Wu spoke after many moments of silence, "You'll need some more time before you can decide what to do from here."

The kunoichi of sound pondered over the similarities she had with Lloyd for the moment, her vow as a member of the Secret Ninja Force, and the upcoming musical. It was all so confusing and she couldn't decide which path to take.

But she can only make one choice…

* * *

Garmadon was busy coming up with his latest scheme yet. This plan was far more elaborate than the ones that were already foiled by the pesky ninja and his parents' son. He spent many sleepless nights coming up with the perfect scheme that will thwart the ninja and at last, he'll become supreme ruler of Ninjago City where he'll claim what is rightfully his.

The Shark Army looked over his plans too and it didn't take long for them to share a common opinion.

"These are excellent, my lord!" His underlings unanimously praised him, whether they liked his idea or not. No one can tell because any doubters of the dark lord will be swiftly punished.

"Now all that's left is to get some equipment and we'll be ready."

"When do we start?" Another minion asked.

"If things go as I intend them to, we'll be able to commence the plan at least by Friday." The dark lord answered and flashed a fang-filled grin. His shoulders shook ever so slightly as a chuckle escaped from his mouth that gradually grew louder until it ascended to a downright cackle.

The Shark Army were clueless at first but soon, they joined in.

"I don't get it. What's so funny?" Some of the goons asked in between laughs.

"What are you idiots standing around for!? Get to work!" Garmadon's mood suddenly changed as he commanded his henchmen to get started on making his grandest scheme a reality.

"Yes, my lord!" The goons hurried to please their overlord like the simple-minded dogs they are.

The dark lord went back to mulling over his lot in life like most bad guys do. He was confident his plan will work but now comes the hard part.

Waiting.

* * *

 **Oh yeah. Something really big is gonna happen in the next chapter. You'll have to wait & see what it is. With a Christmas story on the way, I'll still say, Merry Christmas!**


	87. Crashing Down

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Happy New Year! Just in time to ring in 2019, here's the next chapter of Discovering Destiny & it's a pretty big one because we're gonna see some pretty intense stuff & Luna's selfishness may finally catch up to her. Sit back & enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 86: Crashing Down

As the premiere of the Steadfast Tin Soldier musical drew near, Luna's attendance for the Secret Ninja Force's training sessions became more sporadic. During the days she does come, the others kept their distance, disgusted by her priorities. They refused to duel with her or even spend time with her during their breaks. Master Wu noticed how similar the whole thing was to a typical high school scenario of the poor unpopular teens being ostracized simply for being the slightest bit different from them.

Meanwhile, a certain ninja in green observed the others' treatment of the kunoichi of sound. Even he was aware of how similar it was to his usual situation in everyday life.

Lloyd understood how Luna felt but the part of him that wanted to make others feel his pain held him back. Her life was still cushy compared to his so she could get a taste of what he goes through.

'Like that's gonna make things any better.' His subconscious scoffed.

The outcast dismissed his inner thoughts, being too caught up with his work to be bothered by them. If Luna chooses to be irresponsible and self-obsessed, then so be it. He's not one to dictate how others live their lives. And it's not his place to have any opinions about it. He never bothers to check out what kind of odd things the music club is up to.

'If anything happens to her, it's her fault.' The green ninja ended the internal argument with himself.

And soon enough, she might finally pay the consequences…

* * *

It was well into the evening but the school was still bustling with many people and not just the staff.

Today was the day the music club of Ninjago High has been waiting for since they began production of what could be their greatest project yet.

Luna gave an experimental twirl in her tutu backstage before the full-length mirror, her mind almost in a trance seeing the reflection of the graceful ballerina that was actually her.

"I can't describe how beautiful you look!" Rumi gushed at the sight of Luna in a costume she designed.

"Do you really think so?" The timid girl asked without averting her hazel eyes from her reflection. With her hair arranged in a braided updo with tiny flowers woven into it and the body glitter sprinkled here and there on her face, she was almost unrecognizable. The somewhat plain and quiet girl has become a ballerina of pristine grace and elegance, a far cry from her usual self.

"If this musical becomes a success, I could get a whole bunch of opportunities!" Rumi continued with her rambling over the possibilities this musical will have for her future career.

The blossoming ballerina took a peek out the curtain at the crowds. Immediately, her heart started to race at the thought of performing in front of so many people. It was to be expected if she wants to be an idol but it was still something she had yet to overcome. She almost let out a gasp upon recognizing her parents in the crowd. They probably have high hopes for her and she wanted to make them proud. As she searched, there was one face she couldn't find.

Cole was nowhere to be seen, which didn't surprise Luna but left her feeling unhappy, even if it was to be expected. He was really pissed when he confronted her that day. If possible, he was more angry at her than Kai had been.

"Luna, what are you standing there and looking so glum for?" Brad spotted her, "The musical's about to start in less than ten minutes! You should put in some last minute rehearsals."

Luna can do little else but comply. It shouldn't matter whether Cole's coming or not. She wasn't doing this for him or anyone else. This was for her dreams and her dreams also were not for anyone else but herself. She can achieve them alone.

"Just when I thought this night couldn't get any better." Griffin sent a lascivious glance her way. It's no doubt he was undressing her with his eyes. The ballerina shuddered but it's too late to have the roles recast. No matter how devoted she was to making this musical a success, she still wondered if having to perform alongside such a sleazy creep will be worth it.

And just like that, the face of another person popped up in her mind again.

'Stop thinking about him!' Luna scolded herself, 'It's not like you'll never see Cole again! Things will go back to the way they were! Simple as that!'

The kunoichi of sound took her mind off of Cole and (reluctantly) squeezed in a little bit of last minute practice with Griffin. Little did she know the laid-back teen actually came to watch the premiere of the musical. The black ninja, being the music guru he is, still planned on watching the play but his ringtone went off before he reached the school.

"What now?" Cole sighed in slight exasperation upon seeing it was Kai calling him.

"No time to explain! Get to the base pronto!" The hot-blooded ninja responded before ending the call. He expected just as much from that hothead.

The earth ninja was doubtful the reason was just as urgent as the fire ninja had sounded. This was the guy who said the world will end because he only got eight out of nine cans of hair gel the other day. In the end, he still complied and chose to hear him out.

* * *

Most of the ninja gathered at the hideout where Master Wu was already waiting for them.

"We're here now. What do you want?" Iris asked bluntly towards Kai, who was the one who goaded all of them to meet up in the first place.

"I heard Garmadon's on the move!" Kai wasted no time getting to the point, "And he brought an even bigger number of henchmen and mechs with him!"

"I heard it in the news," Jay added, "It's nothing like anybody has seen before."

"Where the hell is Luna!?" Heather noticed the purple kunoichi's absence, "I called her but she won't answer! Dammit! She's supposed to know better than this!"

"She's probably at the musical! I'll go get her!" Cole volunteered to retrieve the wayward kunoichi.

The ninja can already hear structures being demolished and the people's cries for help. They need to act right now.

"It's too late! We'll just have to go on without her!" Nya made a quick dash to her Water Strider.

"But how are we gonna deal with so many enemies at once!?" Aria asked.

Lloyd was already collaborating a plan with Cole over how to deal with such a big mission.

"The ninja with the mechs will each go to one area while the rest gather in one." The earth ninja laid out the plan to the others.

"Okay, but who goes where?" Heather wanted all the details.

"And where exactly are Garmadon and his forces going?" Aria added.

"Judging from how he is whenever he shows up, Garmadon's most likely heading for any location that could serve his conquest for power or wherever there's a lot of people." Nya hypothesized.

"I'll go after Garmadon." Lloyd didn't hesitate to go after the dark lord himself.

"Lloyd, you don't have to be the one to face Garmadon all the time. I'll go." Kai volunteered to face the dark lord instead of the green ninja.

"That's brave and all but do you even know where Garmadon's going?" The green-eyed teen retorted.

Zane watched the live news on TV and quickly analyzed the footage.

"Garmadon is heading in the direction of Ninjago Tower. I sense a sixty-two percent possibility that the building is his intended destination." The nindroid concluded.

"Then that's where I'm going! Now what about the rest of you?" Kai wanted to assure the others were ready before they can set out.

"I'll go to the beach." Nya volunteered to head where her mech will have the easiest time fending off the Shark Army.

"Iris, I know you're still testing out the Volk Titan but you're gonna have to use it for this mission." The green ninja informed the kunoichi of metal.

"That's good and all but where?" The violet-eyed girl asked.

"Head for the edge of Ninjago City by the mountains. You never know where the enemies will strike."

Iris felt annoyed being bossed around but this was a serious situation so she'll have to suck it up.

"Jay, go and check on the people at the residential areas!"

The timid lightning ninja nodded while activating his Lightning Jet.

"Zane, take on the Shark Army at the industrial areas and Cole, go downtown!" Lloyd continued giving assignments to the team. With all the ninja with their finished mechs assigned to different places, that left two kunoichi having to fight on foot.

"That leaves the two of you to head for the park in the center of the city." The green ninja finished.

The duo felt left out with their mechs still under construction but there's no time to complain.

"Now do you all understand what you gotta do?"

The ninja quickly memorized each of their agenda and the ones with mechs headed for them.

"We still must inform Luna of the situation." Zane reminded the team of their missing comrade while getting ready for their greatest mission

"Forget it! Even if she knows, there's no time for her to catch up!" Lloyd didn't want to take the risk of giving away their identities, especially in a place full of bullies.

"I'm gonna try to call her one more time!" Cole typed in Luna's number on his phone and waited for a response before heading to his Quake Mech.

'Come on Luna! Pick up!' The black ninja grew anxious with each passing second. Much to his dismay, the connection ended and she didn't pick up at all.

She's not foolish enough to leave her phone behind... is she…?'

* * *

Luna's phone vibrated in her backpack laying in the corner of the empty dressing room while the shy girl herself watched the beginning of the play from the backstage area.

Griffin just sang his melancholy solo of the soldier's loneliness and inability to fit in with the rest of his tin brethren. He may be an asshole but damn can he sing. It seems luck has no discrimination when it comes to blessing certain people with certain talent. The audience loudly applauded his performance even after the curtains closed. While the crew were setting up the scene at the castle, Luna prepared herself for what could be her greatest performance yet.

The sound of the bells mimicking the clock atop the toy castle where the ballerina resided chimed. It was finally Luna's turn to appear on stage and sing.

'This is it, Luna. It's now or never.' Luna bottled up all apprehension and anxiety and got ready to make her grand entrance. She assumed her place on the stage and struck a pose with one leg held up high.

The curtain rose and the scene changed from the tabletop with the box of tin soldiers to the front of the toy castle atop the mirror lake where the ballerina stood atop one leg.

Before Luna could even utter the first word of her song, a faint explosion resounded from outside, not far from the school.

"What's happening!?" Students, adults, and staff immediately panicked.

The first thing Luna thought of was going to the ninja hideout and join in but she was in the middle of her grand entrance. She was supposed to maintain her composure but in the confusion, she stopped and wandered off the stage. She was truly torn over what to do.

The audience were thankfully distracted so they won't notice her brief moment of panic.

"Everybody stay calm! The school is a public school looked after by the government! There's nothing to worry about! The show must go on!" The principal tried to maintain the peace in the building.

Luna still didn't know what to do. Ninjago City might be in trouble and only the Secret Ninja Force had any hopes of stopping the cause of this crisis.

Maybe it was wrong of her to skip training…

"Luna!" Hisses coming from the side of the stage diverted Luna's thoughts back to the play. Of course it's none other than Brad not wanting his biggest project to be a fop.

"Go on!" Brad urged Luna to maintain her composure and continue performing.

Try as she might but the purple kunoichi can't deny that she was stuck in a very tight situation. If she leaves right now, she may have a chance to rejoin the ninja and be on their good graces again with her childhood hopes dashed or stay and fulfill her ambitions at the cost of breaking her solemn oath as a kunoichi. She didn't even have the time to consider each possibility.

The show must go on...

* * *

Before all that happened, the mechs were on their way to each destination.

The Fire Mech ran as fast as Kai could let it towards the Ninjago Tower where the aircraft carrying the nefarious dark lord was heading. Just as he predicted, the large helicopter-like vessel loomed over in the distance, creeping closer and closer to the building.

"Hold it!" Kai hollered at the four-armed warlord's airborne vessel. He definitely got its attention since it stopped moving and remained flying midair without inching even one bit closer to the tower.

Inside, the aircraft, the dark lord sneered at the puny red mech stuck on the ground.

"Oh. It's you." Garmadon's deadpan voice echoed from within the aircraft.

"Stop pretending I don't exist!" The red ninja exploded.

Much to Kai's displeasure, the dark lord's aircraft flew on without him. The only thing on his mind was stopping Garmadon, which prompted him to turn on one of the Fire Mech's flamethrower arms at the flying vessel, which moved out of the crossfire.

The aircraft didn't come unprepared for any skirmishes. It launched a missile at the Fire Mech, which stood its ground upon the explosion on contact. The feet of the mech slid several feet, creating huge dents on the ground but the red ninja was determined to prevent Garmadon from harming anyone.

"We're not gonna let you take the city!" Kai threatened the dark lord.

Garmadon was willing to bide his time with this upstart. At least one of these brats will be distracted from what's really in store for them...

* * *

Nya was able to drive back the Shark Army at the beach bordering Ninjago City. Built for easy traverse on water, the Water Strider had the advantage for much of the fight. But it was almost too easy.

'Something isn't right...' The silver kunoichi can't shake off the sense of foreboding within her…

Suddenly, an ominous rumble came from the volcano lair.

The volcano erupted and a plume of smoke trailed further than it could had it been a natural volcano.

'Where could that thing be going?' Nya had a bad feeling about the strange trail and without a second of hesitation, followed it while contacting her teammates

"Iris, do you see it?" The kunoichi of water contacted the pink kunoichi, her closest cohort.

The kunoichi atop the mechanical wolf looked around and eventually spotted a smoky trail in the sky. She followed the vague line and it didn't take long for her to think of one place it could be heading for.

"Oh crap! It's heading for Ninjago High!" Iris alerted the other ninja in their mechs.

All the ninja saw the trail in the sky and knew it wasn't good.

"Lloyd! Go to Ninjago High asap!" Cole alerted the ninja leader.

"What!? Why me!?" The green ninja wasn't too keen on heading for the worst place in all of Ninjago.

"You are the closest to the possible target and thus possess the highest chance of saving the school." Zane answered, as analytical as ever.

"Of all the places to save, it just _had_ to be Ninjago High...'

It felt weird having to go rescue the same people who bullied him and even worse, he'll have to save his own teammate who abandoned her duties for cheap tabloid fame. At least they practically revere him as the green ninja. As awkward as it is, it's the lesser of two evils. He urged his dragon to fly as fast as possible towards his destination...

* * *

Right after the explosion, things have become tense at Ninjago High as the musical continued.

Most of the audience were still panicking even after they were practically forced to stay in their seats. Luna couldn't blame them because she was going through a tumult of conflicting emotions.

Now everyone started looking at her with scrutinizing eyes, including her parents. Her heartbeat was so strong it overwhelmed the soft melody of the ballerina's song to accompanying her performance. Even worse, her anxiety messed with her memory and she had a hard time remembering all the lyrics of her song. Luna felt an incredible weight piling on top of her and she began to wobble but not from the strain of standing on one leg on her tiptoes but from that

' _The dreams flow and the stars dance...'_

All at once, the audience winced at how shaky her voice was and she even sang off-key.

"No! No! No!" Brad's ran up to the stage to chew out the ballerina. The hazel-eyed girl was so startled she completely lost her balance and awkwardly twirled before falling flat on her face. The producer of the musical didn't even help her up as he began ratting her out.

"That wasn't the first line! You were supposed to sing 'Would the sun be quite the miracle without the starry dreams of the night'! Can't you do anything right!?"

Luna couldn't even comprehend what just happened.

One second, she was well on her way to fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming an idol. And the next, it all came crashing down, figuratively and literally. She couldn't even look at anyone or listen to what they had to say.

At that moment, another explosion went off and this time, it hit the school. The auditorium rumbled and this time, nothing could quell the citizens' panic and frenzy to get out of the building.

"Everybody calm down! We must leave the faculty in an orderly manner to ensure no casualties!" The principal still tried to maintain what little peace the building had left.

Even amidst the chaos, Luna sat in the center of the stage, still processing everything that happened.

"Luna we gotta go!" Rumi dragged the distraught ballerina away from the stage but found it difficult. It was like Luna herself was fixed to the ground and weighed at least three hundred pounds despite her average build.

"Oh for the love of -!" Other members of the music club had to pick her up and carry Luna out before she regained her senses and escaped on foot.

The green ninja soon arrived atop his Mech Dragon to investigate the damage and evacuate the locals. The students, family, and staff clamored to the ninja leader for salvation as he led them away from the carnage. Luna tried to hide her face by borrowing Rumi's jacket but after what happened, she believed luck won't take her side anymore.

While Lloyd guided the frightened civilians away from the school grounds, a familiar face grew closer. It didn't take long for him to realize the ballerina was none other than Luna herself.

Several people noticed how the green ninja seemed surprised seeing Luna amidst the crowds. It was almost as if they actually knew each other. But everyone was too busy panicking and worrying to get worked up about it and remained oblivious to the onslaught of emotions both of them went through at that moment.

Lloyd's green eyes contorted from stoic devotion to his duty to outright anger towards his teammate. The first thing he thought of doing was curse her out for being so selfish and lazy and it took every last bit of whatever willpower Luna had left to cry out in his presence.

Neither of them could risk having their secret identities discovered.

"Freakin' bitch..." Lloyd muttered under his breath just loud enough for Luna to hear him and as if that wasn't bad enough, he practically shoved her into the crowd of rescued citizens.

It took a long while for Heather and Aria to catch up and even by the time they arrived, Lloyd was still leading frightened civilians away from the school that was damaged by what was no doubt a missile.

"We came as fast as we could!" Aria explained their arrival to the green ninja, "Do you need help?"

"What do you think!?" Lloyd snapped.

"Is Luna here?" Heather glowered.

The green ninja didn't say anything but judging from his furrowed eyebrows, he did and the encounter was anything but a happy reunion. They didn't have time to find her and instead helped their comrade lead the people out of the school.

* * *

Unbeknownst to her teammates, Luna hid at the edge of the school property, surrounded by only her parents and fellow music club members. She let everyone down and not just the people around her. She also let down the Secret Ninja Force. Everything she did and all the choices she made were all for nothing. She threw away so much for this and it came crashing down with only her to blame.

"Luna, the ninja are here. They can deal with this." Her father tried to offer some reassuring words but all it did was twist the knife deeper.

It was all too much.

The downtrodden ballerina only curled up and sobbed.

It's all my fault…!' Luna cried and mourned over what she had lost and all the things she did that led to this disaster. She was ashamed but more at herself than anything else to bring about her downfall.

There really was no one or nothing else to blame but herself…

* * *

 **Yeah. Way to start the New Year with a punch in the gut. But frankly, Luna had it coming. So what's gonna happen next? Will we see what the others were doing at that time? Stick around to find out.**


	88. The Fallout

**Discovering Destiny**

 **I know it's late but here's the next part of this 'wham' chapter. We'll see more of what the ninja were doing during the mission & take the first look at the outcome & how it affects the ninja. Sit back & read on.**

* * *

Chapter 87: The Fallout

Cole, Zane, and Iris traveled together in the first part of their journey towards their destinations. The Volk Titan sometimes fumbled in its steps, which was to be expected with the still new mech. Iris still refused to quit and soon, she gained full mastery over her mechanical wolf, or at least its movements.

"You think you can handle this?" The earth ninja asked his female teammate when it was time for all three of the mechs to part ways.

"Yeah, and I think I can also run for mayor of Ninjago City while I'm at it." The pink kunoichi bantered in response.

"Yup. She's ready." Cole dismissed her backtalk.

The naive Zane would've pointed out that Iris didn't really say if she was ready or not but with the dire situation at hand, there's no time for that.

"I hope both of you will be successful." The nindroid said before departing for the industrial districts. Cole and Iris took this as their cue to head off to their own designated areas too.

* * *

Jay let out a sigh of relief when he finally got rid of all the Shark Army and their aircrafts that disrupted the peace in the suburbs. Thanks to homing lightning bolts, he subdued them without causing much harm to the civilians and their homes.

"Jay, are you done out there?" Cole asked from the communication features of the mechs.

"Yeah. What's the problem?" The blue ninja answered.

"Lloyd's heading for Ninjago High to stop the attacks so you gotta fill in for him."

"What!? Don't you think you're expecting too much?"

"And don't you think Master Wu's expecting too much from a bunch of ordinary teens?"

The silence that ensued assured the earth ninja that he got through to his less assertive comrade.

"Now get going!" Cole ordered and the communication ended.

'It can't be helped, I suppose...' Jay had no choice but to obey. The Shark Army were no longer a threat here and the rest of the city isn't gonna save itself.

* * *

Kai was beyond livid once he found out Garmadon's plan on bombing the school.

"You bastard! I'm gonna destroy you!" The red ninja hollered, being the hothead he is.

"You can either try to stop me or save the school. It's your call." Garmadon's lips contorted into a cruel smirk exposing razor sharp teeth unseen by the upstart.

With a piercing battle cry, the ninja started up his Fire Mech again and shot yet another stream of red hot flame at the dark lord's aircraft. The four-armed despot may have brought down one location but he still wanted the whole city bending to his will. He won't rest until the city is his but the Secret Ninja Force have really hindered his plans. He commanded the aircraft to shoot every weapon they it had on the Fire Mech and the ninja's vessel was soon bombarded by bombs and missiles.

"Warning: Armor damage is in critical state." The Fire Mech's AI warned Kai of its limitations.

"Shit!" The fire ninja hissed under his breath and suddenly opened the cockpit, "If you think you're so tough, come out and face me like a real man!"

"You think you have what it takes to defeat _me_?" Garmadon scoffed at the pretentious brat, "Yes, I'll spare you… for now. And I prefer to fight someone who still has their dignity."

"You're one to talk after damaging the school!" The red ninja hollered.

"If you wanted to be the one to take the blow so badly, so be it." Garmadon activated the last missiles in the aircraft and bombarded the Fire Mech with it. The already battered mechanism couldn't take it and shut down, collapsing into a useless heap of metal.

"You think that's enough to take me down!?" The red ninja jumped out of the cockpit, still refusing to call it quits.

Garmadon's eyebrows scrunched up in annoyance. This upstart just never knows when to fold 'em. He wanted nothing more but to reap the gains he got from his plan and it certainly won't be the last time he'll think up of something of this scale. He must get back before he loses inspiration.

"I have better things to do than stoop so low to your level but you won't be so fortunate next time we meet. Consider this my one act of mercy." The aircraft flew away, leaving Kai and his mech in the dust.

The red ninja let out a roar of sheer fury. He was pissed beyond belief over all that has happened. That damned Garmadon got away again, there was so much damage done to the city, he failed to fulfill his duty to protect everyone, and there seemed to be no justice in this world.

It was hard to tell who won this battle but Kai was certain it wasn't him.

* * *

Heather and Aria were busy helping Lloyd lead the citizens out of the damaged school and once again, they were informed by locals that they're still needed elsewhere.

"There's the ninja!" Several passersby noticed the young heroes and caught up to them.

"What now?" The orange kunoichi was exasperated but willing to hear them out.

"The park is filled with Shark Army members and people claim they saw Garmadon's aircraft flying by! You gotta go back!" The civilians alerted them of the situation at the park since the kunoichi left.

"We can't be in a bunch of different places at once! We don't have something like an omnipotent rock or weird shit like that!" The teal kunoichi snapped.

"I'll go!" The green ninja volunteered to take the kunoichi's place and commanded his dragon to head over to the park.

"But what about -" With a ferocious roar, the Mech Dragon drowned out the two kunoichi's voices and Lloyd already left them to deal with the problems at school.

"Great," Aria gritted her teeth, "Now he's making us do all the brunt work."

"Shut up," Heather rolled her eyes at Aria's complaint, "It's already too late. We better get these guys out of here before something bad happens again."

Lloyd soon made it to the park where the Shark Army were wreaking havoc. They may outnumber him but they don't have a giant dragon that could crush its enemies in one blow. The cowardly underlings at least knew they were no match and fled the scene but not before leaving it in shambles.

"We may not have won but we'll be back before you know it!" The minions threatened as they headed back to the volcano, "Our lord and master's time will come!"

'We'll see about that.' Lloyd scoffed to himself.

Garmadon may not have won but the damage was extensive, far more than usual. Now the ninja knew what the dark lord was truly capable of.

* * *

Because of the damage done to the building, the students of Ninjago High got to have two weeks off. Most of the frivolous teens were happy but not all of them, especially one in particular.

Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman watched the news repeated what they just lived through in dismay. It proved to be difficult for them to overcome such a horrific event but even worse was how their daughter fared through it all and beyond. Luna locked herself in her room and nothing they say or do could convince her to show her face again. They tried everything from cooking a lavish feast of her favorite foods with plenty of cakes for dessert to planning a marathon of all her favorite movies but nothing worked. Even when she had to use the bathroom, Luna would only come out when no one was around and she only stayed out of her room just long enough to relieve herself or grab a quick bite.

"Should we talk to her?" Mr. Hoffman grew concerned over his daughter's wellbeing.

"I don't know," His wife replied, "Luna lost so much that night. It could take a long time before she can recover from all that has happened."

The couple watched Lorelei scratching Luna's bedroom door in another futile attempt to coax her out. Not even her beloved pet dog could entice her to expose herself to any living thing.

They can only guess what's going on across the other side...

Even when concealed from the rest of the world, all Luna did was lay in her bed and scroll through all the calls she missed that fateful night. She made her choices and now paid for the consequences. The musical was a disaster even before the attacks because of her own incompetence and at least some of the disasters that befallen Ninjago could've been prevented if she remained loyal to the ninja.

But would she really have been able to make a difference?

Compared to the rest of the ninja, she doesn't really do a whole lot. She does know how to fight with her sai and even fists when need be but she never did anything that is uniquely hers, something only she could do. And something than can be instrumental to the team.

And if she did, that opened up another issue.

Would she have the guts to do something like that?

As much as she wanted it, she was still very apprehensive of getting the main part of the musical. She couldn't find it in herself to take action even in the stuff she wants. In the end, she made her choices and they all came crashing down.

There's only one person to blame for this and it isn't Garmadon.

'It's all my fault...'

* * *

Seeing how much damage has been done to the city after the attacks, Kai and Nya found themselves back in their ninja attire, assuming their vigilante personas to help fix Ninjago.

"What's wrong?" Some locals noticed the anguish brimming in the red ninja's eyes while helping clear the beaches of debris.

"There's so much I could've done but I didn't," The fiery ninja's fists shook in anger towards himself, "I had the chance to take down Garmadon and I let it slip through my fingers. Ninjago wouldn't be in bad shape if I hadn't been so blind."

Nya expected such from her brother. He was prone to beating himself up if someone he cared about got hurt.

"Stop it," She reprimanded him, "You should be grateful Garmadon didn't do worse."

"It's not your fault. You did everything you could." The townsfolk attempted to placate the ninja.

"If there's anyone to blame, it's that little son of a bitch." The ninja pair didn't even need to guess who the civilians were referring to.

And they jinx it. The Hinata siblings felt their blood boil but as long as they were ninja, they can't risk revealing themselves. As much as they hated it, they had no choice but to leave them alone.

'Why do _they_ need saving…?' Even with his protective nature, Kai wondered if defending the ones who bully and judge his friend was worth it. In a way, he was helping make Lloyd's life a continuous terror. If anything, these people shouldn't be saved...

* * *

Zane spent what would've been hours wasting away in Ninjago High helping with repairs throughout the city. Being built to protect others, it came naturally for him and if he could, he'd spend much of his time helping anyone in need.

"Thanks a lot. You really saved our butts back there." Some shopkeepers at the river markets thanked the nindroid for his assistance in cleaning up their various establishments.

"It has been my pleasure."

With his back turned, the nindroid's audio receptors picked up some not so pleasant words the human inhabitants of the city had to say about him.

"Thank god he's gone. That face gives me the creeps."

"And those eyes… I just don't like how they glow… and he never blinks..."

"There's something about him I don't trust."

"Don't mind him. He's just a robot freak."

The teens of Ninjago High weren't the only people who judged and ridiculed the humanoid. Being the only known android in the whole city guaranteed a lot of attention and usually not the good kind. Men and women, children and elderly, and everyone in between viewed him as strange, creepy, or just too different from them. Every person was unique but none of them were capable of seeing and hearing things from miles away nor can they wipe out their sense of humor with a simple switch.

No matter how much he experienced it, the unpleasant feelings and sense of isolation saddened him just as much they did in his first years of life.

Thankfully, not everyone who called this city home were quick to judge him besides his father. He has his friends and the Secret Ninja Force who were willing to give him a chance. He and Lloyd also had a deep understanding with how the other felt being considered not one of the people of Ninjago. They encourage him to continue experiencing many different things and stay here.

As long as there's at least one person here who accepted him, that's all he needed to motivate himself to continue living here and helping others.

Speaking of which, the white ninja saw a familiar face on the bench facing the sea.

'Heather…?' Zane didn't want to say anything and only slid with the wheels attached to the bottom of his feet towards the bench until he was right next to her so he won't make any sudden noise to catch her attention.

The kunoichi of nature seemed completely lost in her thoughts and was oblivious to the stoic nindroid standing next to her for several minutes. The white ninja was patient through it all but he felt a slight sense of relief when she finally turned around and flinched.

"Oh… It's you..." Heather quickly overcame the initial shock of seeing what appeared to be a living doll standing there for who knows how long.

"I am sorry for startling you. I simply happen to have noticed you just now." The ice ninja apologized.

The teal kunoichi didn't bother saying anything. Not only was she completely used to Zane's presence now, she had this sort of trust in him that he'll know how she feels.

'Wait… Trust…?' Heather wasn't sure if she wasn't at the point of trusting the nindroid.

Yeah, he was possibly the sweetest person in all of Ninjago but can they really have something so big as trust between them?

The teal kunoichi was quick to shake off such thoughts. Her mind was too busy musing over everything that happened over the last couple of days and the troubling emotions swelling up within her.

"Is something upsetting you…?" Zane asked again.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Zane wordlessly took his seat next to Heather to hear more about her troubles and see if there's a way for him to alleviate them.

"Is this about Luna's absence during our mission?" The nindroid voiced the first thing that came to his mind. Most of the ninja were upset at her rejection of her duties for a fleeting moment of fame. While he didn't reach the same level of anger as them, he believed it was a terrible thing to do. As tempting as it is, no one should run from their responsibilities.

"Of course what Luna did, or didn't for that matter, pisses me off but I feel that's not the only reason I'm upset... Or it may not be the main reason… What other reason could there be?"

"There is the damage that has been done to the city..." Zane started.

"That's not the problem!" The teal kunoichi suddenly snapped. The white ninja was briefly startled but he recently discovered Heather's temperamental streak when provoked. He can only watch as the teal kunoichi tried finding the answer.

There were other things that was the source of her frustration but she can never quite put her finger on it and it was right at the tip of her tongue. All she knew is that it made her feel this strange sense of emptiness and that it festered deep within her. Try as she might, she can't decipher her own feelings. That was preposterous. She is who she is and she should know everything about herself.

Then how come she doesn't?

The frustration kept piling up until it quickly broke the camel's back.

Heather's mind suddenly blanked out and threw a nearby rock as far as she could into the water. The chunk of mineral created a big and loud splash upon contact with the pristine surface. Zane was taken aback by her sudden bout of rage.

"Heather, please! Calm down!" The nindroid placed a soothing hand on each of her shoulders.

"Easy for you to say!" Heather wrested herself away from the white ninja's grip.

The naive nindroid sensed that the kunoichi of nature needed some space. He didn't say a word as the frustrated human's breathing softened and was stable once more.

"I don't know what's wrong with me..." The freckled girl sighed and regained her seat on the bench, "I keep feeling this strange sense of… whatever it is…"

Zane felt a sense of guilt over being unable to help his teammate but as Master Wu said, this is one of those trials each ninja will have to overcome by themselves. He also had yet to discover who he truly is whether he's man or machine.

This was something not even his data processors can even help...

* * *

Iris thought having the apartment to herself with school out and her uncle at work would give her all the freedoms any teen would want. It did deliver but the pink kunoichi felt unhappy with how she got it. The school and several other places in the city were damaged and her uncle had to work overtime and all of it could be traced back to the Secret Ninja Force. Yeah, things might've been less disastrous if Luna stayed with the ninja but it wouldn't really make much of a difference.

'Now that I think about it, I can't really blame her.' The kunoichi of metal was astonished by how much she related to her teammate's rather controversial decision.

Nowadays, it seems that things have begun to stagnate among the ninja, at least to her. Even with the mechs being added to the ninja's arsenal, there hasn't been any drastic changes for them and they're certainly not getting any closer to getting rid of Garmadon for good.

And there's also Master Wu's frequent lectures about finding themselves. Even before she heard of his plans, she sometimes wondered if she was still her own unique person besides her affinity for all that is cute and girly. It's been a long time since the teens Wu selected became ninja and kunoichi but as of now, they were simply beating up some baddies and ride some cool mechs. Iris was just as clueless to who she truly was inside as she was before getting into this mess. If Luna was indeed skipping because she couldn't 'find herself' as Master Wu puts it, then maybe it's not her place to call her out. She felt the same as of late and has been tempted to skip or even quit but there was a part of her that refused to give up.

And the strange thing is that this isn't the first time she felt this way. Nope. Far from it.

It was something of a bad habit for Iris. Whenever she struggled with something besides homework, she pushed herself to her limit and refuse any offers of assistance. She just never knows when to quit. But nobody's perfect. If that's part of who she is, then too bad. Iris is Iris and she's not gonna change, especially not for the sake of anybody else.

The pink kunoichi was quickly bored out of her mind. Not caring that he might be busy with work, Iris grabbed her phone to call her uncle. After three tries, he _finally_ picked up.

"Uncle, I'm _soooo_ bored!" Iris whined, "There's nothing for me to do! When are you coming back?"

"I'm sorry but work is really demanding right now," Karloff's voice crackled through the bad reception and the machines working at the office, "If it comes down to it, we're gonna have to stay overnight."

"But what am I gonna do by myself!? How am I gonna do stuff like getting food!?"

"Iris, you can take care of yourself," Her relative sighed, "You already cook and clean most of the time. You're a strong girl. I know you can pull through."

Karloff abruptly ended the call, much to Iris' frustration. As much as she loves him, he doesn't seem to fully understand how she feels at times.

Karloff was exhausted by the heavy workload. He had never seen such a level of destruction since the Warring Era. In a way, Garmadon and his forces aren't the only ones to blame for it. The Secret Ninja Force and their mechs have played their part in damaging the city. It's ironic how they have sworn to protect Ninjago City yet they also end up demolishing parts of the city. As terrible as it is, they're not the ones to blame. Garmadon is the one who seeks to perpetuate the carnage from the wake of those tumultuous times. In a way, the ninja reminded him of the people he met in that age.

He often wondered how _they_ were doing these days.

"Kuznetsov! We need you at Engine Room 4!" Karloff's supervisor ordered.

The engineer swiftly obliged, knowing how important one's duty truly is. He may not know why but he found himself hoping that Iris will learn that someday…

* * *

 **So what do you guys think? We'll see more on how the ninja feel about all this & the focus may shift from Luna to another but you'll have to wait to find out. As always, reviews are highly appreciated.**


	89. Reforging Bonds

**Discovering Destiny**

 **I'm sorry for the very late chapter. I've been going through a bunch of issues that could affect this story but there will be more info at the end. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 88: Reforging Bonds

With school out for two weeks, Lloyd thought he would be relieved to get away from the shallow and judgemental bullies but the way he got what he believed he wanted left him feeling empty. Garmadon still attacked the city with everyone blaming him and Luna was being a selfish idiot. Both of them had Lloyd thinking about his lot in life.

"Lloyd, lunch is ready." His mother summoned him out of his room and the delicious scent of a freshly cooked meal did its job of whetting his appetite. Koko set up a plate full of stir-fried beef in a spicy yet sweet sauce with steamy rice fresh off the cooker and some fresh vegetables so her child will also get plenty of nutrients.

The former warrior was happy to cook delicious and nourishing food for her son but she knew she was only able to do this for a more unsavory reason. Koko was laid off of yet another job for being a former consort of the dark lord. She was able to make enough money to last herself and Lloyd for a long while but she needed to find another profession or they'll have to move out of the city.

'But that could be for the better.' The woman once known as Lady Iron Dragon felt temptation take its hold on her very being. Lloyd wasn't happy in Ninjago City and neither was she. Almost everybody in the city acted like she was the same person she was in the past and it sometimes angered her.

'Not now,' She mentally scolded herself, 'This is supposed to be a pleasant meal with my son. I won't let myself ruin it.'

"Mom…?" Lloyd noticed his parent's expression turn somber for a moment.

"Don't worry, Lloyd. I'm fine." She perked up in an instant. While they ate, she began to notice that her son was looking kind of glum the whole time.

"Lloyd, is there something on your mind?" She didn't hesitate to try and get to the bottom of this.

"How would you know?" Lloyd talked back.

"School's still cancelled and you always talk about how difficult it is."

"And…?"

"Knowing you, I thought you would be overjoyed by such a thing." Koko wouldn't really approve of her son expressing delight over a dire situation but she still found it plausible with the kind of life he lives.

"It has nothing to do with school or Garmadon..."

"Can you tell me what's going on?"

Koko wondered if she should intervene or not. Lloyd was growing up and he can't stay dependent on her forever. Sooner or later, he'll have to learn to stand up on his own two feet and overcome his own trials and tribulations.

"My friends… we… kinda have a disagreement..."

"Even friendship isn't as simple as some make it out to be," Koko gave her son some of the advice she learned from her experiences, "Friends often have opposing ideals, opinions, and even beliefs but that doesn't mean you'll never find middle ground or be able to get along."

"It's not that kind of problem."

"Then what is it?"

Lloyd hesitated for a few minutes, trying to come up with an explanation for what happened between Luna and the other ninja without giving away their secret.

"One of my friends did something really stupid and some of us think we should cut them off."

"Everybody makes mistakes. If you're gonna let the past actions of a friend affect how you treat them, then perhaps you weren't really friends in the first place."

Lloyd shuddered by how on point his mother was, whether she meant it or not. If he were in Master Wu's place, he would kick her out but he's not his uncle. He doesn't sit around, drink tea all the time, or keeping secrets when they could make a difference.

"Lloyd, what would _you_ do?" Koko urged her son to answer.

"I don't know," He shrugged, "I still don't have a lot of friends."

"It doesn't matter how much or how little you have. It's just having them that is important. I won't get in the way of your decisions. You must make your own choices."

Lloyd wasn't sure what to believe. Part of him believed it's for the best to replace Luna yet there was that other part of him that still sympathized with her. He also wasn't sure which part of him to believe. He even felt himself doubting if one side is the real him or not.

And he didn't expect to find the answers anytime soon...

* * *

Even with school out, the ninja still continued their training as usual and just as expected, Luna didn't show up.

'Serves her right.' Kai scowled. Most of the ninja seemed to share his sentiment.

Master Wu expected the downtrodden girl to shut herself off from the world. He understood that she needs some time to gather her emotions but she'll have to face reality, whether she likes it or not. She already had time to mull over her mistakes and now it's time to learn from them and move forward to the future with those lessons in mind.

"Uncle, aren't we gonna get started or what?" Lloyd asked.

The green ninja's relative took a long sip of green tea and sat with mute contemplation for more than a few moments until he replied.

"I would like for Luna to come to today's session." Master Wu spoke.

And just as he expected, his students' tempers flew.

"Are you serious?" Heather was astonished that her teacher would want Luna to come back after the shitty things she did.

"Good luck with that," Nya sneered, "We've been calling and texting her and she _never_ responds. You have better luck waking up the dead."

"I will volunteer to attempt contacting her." Zane said and his mechanical body became still as a statue while he contacted Luna's number without needing a phone. It's one of the quirks of being an android to be able to send, information, messages, and the like without using a separate device.

* * *

Luna did nothing but mope in her bedroom since the play flopped and her parents were increasingly concerned, not that she cared. The only thing she needed was to disappear...

Her phone suddenly shook and before she could stop herself, she swiped the screen to see if there's a new call or message.

'Luna, come to the warehouse. Master Wu says he needs to speak to you.' A text message from Zane popped up on her phone. The purple kunoichi was surprised that any of the ninja tried contacting her after all their previous attempts proved fruitless. She wondered if she should bother replying but her instincts decided for her.

'Why bother?' She typed back, 'Everyone hates me and the team would be better off.'

'I understand but Master Wu deems it imperative that you should attend today's meeting.'

Luna paused for several moments to consider her choices.

Facing the ninja was inevitable and try as she might, she'll have to face the music sooner or later. She already can't contain herself in her bedroom forever. She already ruined her ambitions and reputation.

What else does she have to lose?

Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman were shocked to see Luna emerging from her room in front of them for the first time since they got home in the aftermath of the attacks.

"Luna…! W-why… What on earth are you -" They could barely form words at the shock of seeing their daughter within their sights.

"My friends said we need to talk..." Luna's voice was frail and hoarse but that was the least of Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman's worries.

"Why now? Haven't your friends been contacting you since the attack?"

Luna refused to speak and was already at the door.

"Don't you think it's still a little too soon to start going out again," Her parents were still concerned for her emotional welfare, "Especially after what happened?"

The solemn girl still didn't say anything and left the house as suddenly as she emerged. Her parent can do little else but worry for her, which they've been doing the whole time.

* * *

Just as she expected, most of the ninja 'greeted' Luna with glares and whispers that she shouldn't be here. What hurts the most is that they were right. She made a vow and in the end, she broke it. Some on the other hand still felt at least a tiny bit of pity for her.

Lloyd still felt a sense of understanding of what Luna was going through, even if she deserved it. It was never pleasant to be given only the negative type of attention. What she did was still inexcusable and he wasn't sure why his uncle would still want her here. Then again, Wu can be… peculiar… and doesn't reveal his motives before acting upon them.

The poor girl looked a wreck with her eyes bloodshot, her long auburn hair a mess of tangles, and her apparel were a bunch of hastily assembled clothes that clashed against each other.

Master Wu looked at the depressed girl with a blank expression and she didn't want to imagine what was going on in his head as he stared at her for many moments.

"Luna, it is time you start to learn the difference between what you want and what you need," Master Wu started in a gentle yet stern voice, "What you have done was incredibly selfish."

Luna started shaking as the old man began chewing her out. Her blood ran cold and her skin became as pale as Zane's gi. She didn't dare to speak out while Wu lectured her.

"Humans are inherently selfish so what is truly important is to learn to control it. Instead, you have let it control you. Ambition can bring positive results but if held in excess, can lead a person to their own doom. You have a lot of opportunities to fulfill your wants but right now, you need to realize you also have your needs that must be met.

"I know one thing that you need..."

'Oh god, I'm gonna get kicked out of the Secret Ninja Force. It's all over.' Luna squeezed her hazel eyes shut and held her breath, expecting her fears to be realized...

"What you need is to stay with the Secret Ninja Force and resume your training." Master Wu spoke.

"What!?" The ninja were shocked but none more than Luna herself.

"Why would you keep her here after what happened!?" Jay asked.

"Some lessons can only be learned the hard way. Perhaps the previous events could be such," Master Wu explained, "Luna, you still have potential. The main problem you face is that you're keeping your eyes closed and prevent all the possibilities you could make a reality. There is a lot of potential within you and they can only be realized by your choices."

"I don't think you really understand what happened," Heather intervened, "She chose to skip out on us. What happened to her was her fault."

"That is true but like all past actions, that is now behind us. We should always focus on the present in order to prepare ourselves for the future. You mustn't lose sight of what is truly important." Wu said.

'But I already lost it...' Luna still mourned what she lost.

"Luna, it is now mandatory for you to attend the ninja training sessions from now on. You already paid the price for your mistakes. I don't want you to suffer greater consequences for it," Wu told her before turning to the rest of his pupils, "You must also do the same. Put the past where it belongs and live for the present and future. I will give you time to adjust." The old man retreated to his corner to drink tea and meditate.

The ninja learned their lesson in moving on from past mistakes but they still had a hard time letting go of what Luna did. Especially one in particular and it wasn't Kai.

A couple of the ninja looked at the dark expression on Heather's face. She was far from being the only one who didn't want to follow Master Wu's orders but she was the most 'outspoken' about it.

"I don't get why Master Wu's expecting us to let Luna back in so easily," Heather scowled, "She knew she was running off at the worst time possible. It's gonna take much more than Master Wu's orders if he's trying to butter us up."

"I do not think Master Wu is in possession of any butter nor would he intend to coat us in it." The ice ninja tilted his head in confusion.

"She means Master Wu might be trying too hard to get on our good side." Cole explained the figure of speech for the nindroid.

"If he thinks I'm going to drop everything and act like things will be all fine and dandy in an instant, he better think again." The teal kunoichi still fumed.

"It is no use dwelling in the past," Zane spoke, "We must look ahead towards the future."

"But whether Luna came or not, you know Garmadon plans on doing something like that again." Cole joined in.

Heather was still having trouble comprehending her teacher's point of view on all this. Mistakes are a common thing in everyday life but letting a massive disaster happen is different. On top of that, there were no promises that Luna won't do it again. She still didn't trust her.

"Heather's gonna need some time to think over this." Cole led Zane away from her before he could say any words of advice or consolation.

While Heather was fuming, Luna spent much of her time to herself with only Varjo willing to offer her any company. What she wasn't aware of was that she also had another ninja's attention. Aria used up much of her free time observing the recently shunned kunoichi. She looked completely pitiful standing there in the corner and Aria remained silent for too long. The orange kunoichi decided that what the others think of her shouldn't matter anymore. She marched over to the corner where Luna was curled up and sat next to her.

"What do you want?" Luna asked somberly.

"Whoa! I'm just trying to be friendly. No need to bite my head off." The olive-skinned girl held up her hands in self defense. The purple kunoichi fell silent, allowing Aria to explain.

"I kinda know what it's like." The orange kunoichi started.

"Really? Are you the one who dashed her own dreams and let Garmadon demolish the city?"

"I've been tempted to skip training before. I thought being a kunoichi would be exciting and different but from we've seen so far, it's not that different from school."

"How so…?" Luna asked, not trusting the kunoichi of wind.

"We seem to do nothing but train like PE class and even our missions feel like a routine. It's all become the same, the kind of stuff I was trying to get away from."

"Then why not run away?"

"I've thought about skipping before. It's not because I don't think Garmadon could be a legit threat. I just don't think we'll make much of a difference in the long run. Garmadon will just keep going until he gives up, which I don't think will happen anytime soon. Or he'll be stopped one day but that's just as likely as Kai showing up to school without any hair gel."

Luna only responded with a blank stare which Aria took as her cue to continue.

"I'm normally not a pessimistic person but I don't think we'll be able to do something worthwhile with the way things are right now and I feel that it won't change."

The pair caught the attention of the fire ninja and he did _not_ like what he was seeing.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kai asked in an almost accusing voice.

"I-I was -" The already mousy pariah shook under the intimidating ninja's presence.

"I wasn't talking to _you_ ," The fire ninja interrupted Luna and shifted his fiery gaze towards Aria, "Why are you hanging out with her?"

"Stop it, Kai," Aria rolled her eyes, "You're not the boss around here. If I wanna talk to Luna, then I'm talking to her."

"After what she did _not_ do? Don't blame me if she leaves you next time we go on a big mission."

"Just because you have an opinion doesn't mean you're right!"

Luna felt awkward being caught in the middle of Kai and Aria's squabbling. It's bad enough for her to be to the ninja what Lloyd is to… the whole city. Thankfully, another ninja came to intervene.

"Uh… guys…?" Jay tried to quell the argument.

"What do you want!?" Both squabbling ninja glared at the blue ninja who flinched.

"I hate to break it you but… Master Wu says its time to start training again." The lightning ninja barely managed to stutter while pointing out to the ninja mentor who sent an expectant stare their way.

The quarrelsome pair looked flustered, noticing they also got everybody's attention. They tried to save face and rejoined the group, followed by the overlooked Luna. She's got her work cut out for her if she can find her place within the group again...

* * *

Iris returned to Karloff's apartment and just as she had guessed, her uncle still hasn't come home from work. He already spent many hours a day at his job so she didn't even bother to call him when she left for training. The empty apartment brought forth an unpleasant sense of loneliness the girly girl hasn't felt since she first left for Ninjago City.

Iris tried to find some interesting shows on TV but nothing interesting was on. With no homework to do and the apartment all clean, there were very little options to spend time to herself before her uncle gets back. She checked the fridge and luckily, there were plenty of ingredients to make a meal.

'Might as well get started.' The pink kunoichi settled on making tonight's dinner to occupy her time.

"Sorry I'm late." Karloff came home at night to the scent of shchi cooking atop the stove.

"Finally!" His niece huffed in exaggerated annoyance.

The pair ate their soup in silence not knowing what to talk about over dinner. Normally, Karloff asked Iris how school was going but the building was still closed down. Iris would often talk about what's on her mind but there was nothing that was the slightest bit entertaining today.

"Uh… this soup is good…?" Karloff was off to an awkward start. It hardly surprised him that his niece was brushing up on her culinary skills. He's been teaching her how to cook for herself since she moved in with him. She already does most of the cooking these days and it's important that she knows how to provide for herself should anything happen to him.

Iris shrugged off her uncle's compliment and continued to wordlessly eat her shchi by the spoonful.

Karloff turned on the TV in hopes to alleviate the tedious silence.

"In other news, many witnesses confirm that one member of the Secret Ninja Force was absent at the time of the disasters."

The pink kunoichi did a spit take all over her uncle.

"Er… sorry about that..." Iris gave a sheepish apology and handed him some paper towels to clean up but they continued listening to the reporters.

"Eyewitnesses recognized each of the ninja as well as a new mechanical construct with what some say was controlled by the kunoichi in pink. We will show you some footage."

A low-res clip played on TV showing blurry images of what looked like a giant wolf. The person filming the footage zoomed in on its back at the vague silhouette of a person in pink. Iris did yet another spit take on her uncle who just wiped himself off.

"And since the incident, the ninja continue making sporadic appearances but again, one kunoichi was absent the whole time. Based on the testimony of locals, the one who was missing was the kunoichi in purple and rumors over the reason for her absence has started to circulate among the locals such as -"

"I think that's enough news for the day." Karloff turned off the TV, probably so his relative would stop spitting soup on him.

"I wish the news would stop talking about the ninja and focus on the important stuff for a change." Iris sighed in exasperation.

"How can they not?" Karloff responded, "Whenever something big or unusual happens, it's gonna get all the attention. The media will always milk the latest events for all their worth until the next big thing comes along. I don't want to sound like a downer but I don't think anybody will forget the ninja soon."

"What do you think of the ninja…?"

"I can't say I completely agree with what they do but Garmadon must be stopped. They're doing what they can to put an end to his raids though I don't think damaging the city with their mechs is helping their cause..."

The pink kunoichi felt a well of guilt grow in her gut. Karloff still has no idea she's doing her part in the carnage and he's the one cleaning up the ninja's messes.

"I've seen worse during the Warring Era and there's also the things I've been through before that."

Iris' thoughts drifted to Almaz and her life before moving in with her uncle. She remembered what she left behind and long-buried memories started coming back to haunt her.

'Not now,' She pushed the unpleasant memories aside before she could have a debilitating flashback, 'I already got a lot to worry about.'

Right now, her secret was still safe. What mattered more was if the team can mend their wounds and be a whole team again. But with all the things going around in Ninjago, she doubted it would happen before something else happens…

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter is so lame but it kinda leads up to what I need to talk about.**

 **Lately, I'm wondering if this story is even worth it & maybe I should give up. Asides from a ton of mental issues in real life, I've become disillusioned with what Ninjago has become (though I have mixed opinions over the new seasons & I might have to post my opinions one day) & the movie wasn't even that good. I have so many plans but I don't think I'll be able to pull them off & I feel I'll get more backlash than it's worth with at least one of them. Also, I'm sorry for sounding petty but all the requests for kidnapping Lloyd is getting annoying. I don't have any plans for Lloyd to get abducted in the near future. Maybe it's better for me to give up. There are many things in life that only end up with disappointment. But I don't know what to do. We'll have to wait & see…**


	90. The Suffering

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hi guys. It's been a while since posting my last chapter. Before we get started, I want to say thank you so much to everyone for all your kindness & support. It means so much to me with all the things that's been going on in real life. Now, I'm feeling a bit better & I think I can start writing again. I'll reveal more after the chapter so for now, please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 89: The Suffering

Ninja training couldn't be any more awkward for Luna. Most of the ninja completely ignore her, even during their breaks, which didn't make much of a difference. Instead of unwinding from training, she had special sessions with Master Wu to teach her a sense of responsibility and commitment.

"Strength isn't only beating up people and being what teens nowadays call a 'badass'. Strength comes in many different forms, such as sticking to one's beliefs or a couple's devotion for each other. You still have the potential to be more than what you are now. I can see it." Master Wu lectured Luna.

"I'll never be strong…" The kunoichi of sound shrunk back in her seat.

"And you never will if you keep holding yourself back," The old mentor still didn't give up on his timid apprentice, "Now let's commence our lesson. Tell me, what would you do if..."

During Luna's special session, Heather observed her and Master Wu with disdain.

'What the hell is that old man trying to do?' The kunoichi of nature narrowed her eyes at the pair with annoyance, 'Does he think giving a bunch of cryptic lectures will make her change?'

There was nothing else for the kunoichi of nature to divert her attention to. The rest of the team were preoccupied with other stuff and Garmadon and his forces haven't turned up yet. Heather pointed her dark blue eyes at the TV screen showing today's news and nothing big was happening. The option of going outside for a breath of fresh air was lost to the fuming kunoichi who was completely fixated on her teammate whom she was still super pissed at. Her behavior also hadn't gone unnoticed by Master Wu and the others.

"We shall have another discussion tomorrow." The sagely man ended his session with Luna and made a beeline to where Heather stood.

"Heather, do not make Luna's problems yours," He sternly warned her once he was in her face, "If you can't let go of the past, you will have no future."

The teal kunoichi wondered if Master Wu meant something else. If so, then why can't he just say it to her face? He's doing nothing but make things more complicated than they should be.

'Not now, Heather. No need to get any more pissed off.' The teal kunoichi was still mad but she heeded her teacher's words… for the time being.

The future can wait...

* * *

Zane and Jay shared part of their paths home together and usually, the latter was the one to do all the talking, not that the nindroid minded. He was always an avid listener.

"I'm surprised by how far Lloyd has come with the mechs. He didn't do _all_ of it by himself but still. We now have seven mechs. If we had a professional engineer or mechanic in the team, we would have at least twenty mechs by now." Jay rambled on.

"You and Nya have also made your contributions in building the mechs." Zane replied.

"Yeah but making them was Lloyd's idea in the first place. We're only teenagers and look at the things we've already done. It's almost scary what humans are capable of creating."

Zane felt uncomfortable the moment Jay said that. He too was a creation built by human hands. There were also many people who didn't trust him solely because he was an android, not a human and then there's the school bullies who mock and insult him on a daily basis. The days where he wasn't picked on in any way were easier to count on one hand. But worst of all were those stares filled with disgust, mistrust, and even fear.

Do the people of Ninjago actually find him… scary…?

"...Not like that will stop me from being an inventor," Jay kept going on, oblivious to Zane's emotional dilemma, "What's important is that we should know what our creations could be capable of before we go ahead and make them. Right, Zane?"

The ice ninja switched his mind's focus from his inner turmoil over how he's viewed by humans to the topic his comrade spoke of in an instant.

"I understand your belief in taking precautions with technology." Zane spoke.

"And it would be ironic if our mechs end up destroying Ninjago City." Jay added.

"Then it must be imperative to take caution when using our mechs during missions."

"In pear what?" Jay was completely confused by that strange word his teammate seemingly invented.

"Imperative," The nindroid repeated himself, "Adjective. Definition: having vital importance. Synonyms include indispensable, mandatory -"

"Okay! I get it!" The blue ninja cut off the humanoid before he can turn into a living dictionary, "But is there anyone who uses that word? And how come I never heard of it until now? Are there people still inventing words? Is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in the dictionary now? I have a ton of words that should be there too like bastardish and annoyedly. And don't get me started on -"

"Jay, you are talking excessively." Now it was Zane's turn to interrupt his teammate.

"Eh heh… Sorry..." The flustered lightning ninja apologized.

By now, the duo reached the station where Zane would wait for the next train so he can get home.

"We must part for the day." The nindroid bade his teammate farewell for today.

"See ya tomorrow."

Even with Jay gone, Zane still couldn't stop thinking about what he said about the fearsome potential humans have. He felt dread at the thought that he could be a testimony to that.

'It cannot be. Father sees me for who I am and we are happy to have each other. That is what matters more than anything.' The ice ninja told himself…

But is it a genuine belief or a fabrication he made up to feel better about himself?

Zane was never meant to know everything from the get-go and for the first time, it frustrated him.

* * *

Cole and Heather were sent out on another one of Master Wu's outdoor excursions so they can know more about each other as he puts it. The walk towards the forest was silent but it would've been even more awkward of they tried to say anything. The earth ninja can tell the teal kunoichi was still pissed beyond belief at what Luna did. Every time the ninja meet up in front of the warehouse, the freckled girl would avoid Luna at all costs. She wouldn't even look at or speak to her, even when asked to.

And he thought Kai was stubborn.

"I'm not gonna beat around the bush," Cole suddenly spoke, "Heather, you're gonna have to let go of the past one way or another. You were able to get over what Lloyd did before."

"No I didn't." Heather scowled like a defiant child denied their favorite treat.

"Then why don't you give a rat's ass about it like with Luna?"

"I'm only putting it behind me because we're always too busy training or fighting Garmadon. It it were up to me, I would've kicked them out."

The black ninja was appalled at what his teammate just said.

"We all make mistakes and we don't always know what will happen. Lloyd and Luna probably weren't expecting things to be as bad as they were. Nobody knows what will happen in the future. You might even forgive them eventually." Cole's voice was calm as always but it was clear that he was furious.

"Like hell I would!" Heather remained defiant. Her words struck a little too close to home for Cole. He hated conforming to his father's snobbish ways and wanted nothing to do with him but now with the thoughts being brought up, much of his rationale was thrown out the window.

"It just has to be all about you isn't it!?" The black ninja snapped back, "Never mind that Lloyd has his daddy issues or Zane has trouble fitting in! You're the one being all pissy and the whole world should be too!"

"I never said that!"

Cole pinched the bridge of his nose. He would've never thought the normally polite Heather would be so obstinate and temperamental. He may have trouble seeing her the same from now on.

"Heather, listen. We all have our own problems and they're no better or worse than others -"

"Then prove it."

The way Cole just stood there and stared at her made Heather realize that she's in for it now. The buff ninja roughly grabbed her by the collar of her uniform and her feet were literally off the ground. Cole looked straight into Heather's eyes and if looks could kill… let's not go there.

"Do _you_ have any daddy issues?" Cole asked and his unbelievably soft voice made it much scarier than if he was yelling at her.

"N-no." Heather gasped.

"Do you any friends or family who don't support you or talk down on any choices you make?"

"Not really..."

Cole glared at Heather for many more moments before finally letting her go. The shorter girl's landing wasn't the most graceful and she collapsed, coughing and sputtering.

"Then you're the last person to have any right to say anything like that."

Heather was briefly too shocked to say or do anything besides catch her breath. By the time she was back on her feet, Cole was already heading back for the ninja stronghold. She now had a whole bunch of questions but she knew now was the worst time to ask them.

'Does Cole have is own family issues too…?' The teal kunoichi pondered over why someone laid-back like Cole would get so worked up over parental issues. It's not her place to pry into others' private lives nor should she add it to the problems she had.

All she could do now was head back and see what fate may have planned out for her.

* * *

Ever since Kai and Aria discovered each other's eagerness to try new foods, they would always check out any new food stalls, cafes, or restaurants together once they hear word of it. With the brand new White Bunny ice cream shop opening, they just had to check it out. The frozen goodies were delicious but it was all starting to become the same and even boring. At least that's how it is to Aria.

Kai soon noticed something off about Aria. She usually enjoys herself during their culinary escapades. There was something in her eyes that told him she wasn't wholly content just eating food, almost like she's grown tired of it.

"What?" The kunoichi of wind caught him staring.

"N-nothing!" The red ninja stammered a bit before recollecting himself, "I just noticed that maybe you want to do something else."

The olive-skinned girl was surprised Kai managed to catch on to how she really felt so easily. Again, she shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Kai may be much more than a hotheaded spitfire and she has yet to know him as well as Nya does.

"I've been thinking maybe we could do some other stuff together. Eating good food is nice and all but there's more stuff we could be doing." Aria said after finishing her true blue ice cream soda.

"Let me guess. Shopping until you max out yet another credit card?" Kai made a jab at her inability to control herself in the throes of consumerism.

"I meant doing some other things we haven't done together. And for your information, I didn't bring a lot of money." The capricious girl retorted.

"What kind of options are there? There's not a whole lot to do here."

"What are you talking about? There could be many different things going on in the city. Maybe we can go look for it ourselves. We could go to the park or- Hey! Where are you going!?" The kunoichi of wind wasn't thrilled at Kai leaving her in the dust and swiftly chased after him.

"Kai! Wait for me! How dare you leave me alone!" Aria ranted once she caught up with the red ninja.

"I'm just going to see if there's other interesting stuff. You said that's what you wanted to do, no?" Kai answered bluntly.

"That doesn't mean leaving me behind!"

"So you wanna stay here?"

The orange kunoichi was tongue-tied and can only answer with a groan of exasperation.

The duo explored the streets of Ninjago City, looking for any place that could catch their interest. No matter how much they tried, nothing caught their eye or were coming up later. They hadn't forgotten to take into account that the city was still going through repairs but maintained the hope that there's some interesting place still open. They even had a nice little exploration montage with relaxing tunes just like in the movies. But after what felt like an eternity, nothing caught their interest.

"So much for finding something else to do." Aria muttered when her belly rumbled in desire for food.

"The city's still busy with repairs so our timing probably wasn't that good." Kai shrugged.

"I guess..." The kunoichi of wind was disheartened by how things turned out but she found herself not feeling as disappointed as she thought she would.

"Now that I think about it, we kinda did something different together." She said out of the blue.

"What are you talking about?" The fire ninja responded.

"We kinda got to explore the city together so at least that's something." Aria explained.

"I would've never thought you could observe something like that." Kai didn't care if Aria was aware of what he was implying. She had her own ups and downs just like every other person. The teens spent several minutes pondering over what they've just experienced. It was a surprisingly nice feeling doing anything else other than eating.

"Wanna try it again some time?" Kai offered.

Aria was surprised by the red ninja's suggestion for some reason. They've been hanging out a lot since joining the Secret Ninja Force so spending time with each other was to be expected.

"Yeah." The kunoichi of wind now found herself looking forward to the next time she can explore the city beyond what she knew… with Kai...

* * *

Today was the last day before Ninjago High reopens and most teens wanted to make the most of their final day of true freedom. Heather clearly wasn't one of them. The flower-loving girl stared the plants in her garden but found no joy or relief as she always did. The familiar sight of all the flowers swaying gently with the breeze offered nothing for her.

Maybe it's time to go find another method of relief.

"I'm gonna go take a walk." Heather briskly explained to her parents and left before they could reply.

The city was almost back to normal. Some buildings were still being worked on but the builders made a lot of progress now that Garmadon has been hanging low since the disaster. Speaking of which, the billboard counting the days he doesn't attack the city was repaired. Heather wondered if that sign was pointless. There was never a full month between his previous raid and the next. That may also explain why that thing doesn't count months.

The first instinct Heather had was to head for Blossoming Memories but her shift won't be for another couple of hours so scratch that. Next was to go to the Petite Corner but she wasn't really hungry. She quickly became aware of the irony of leaving the house to find a way to clear her mind only to become even more lost over what to do besides go to the grocery store to get some snacks...

* * *

Lloyd scrunched up the opening of his hoodie so his face was covered when he followed his mom into the grocery store. She usually does the groceries by herself but today, she wanted him to accompany her because she was getting a lot of stuff and she'll need some help carrying them. He didn't have to look up to know everyone was glaring at him and his mother yet the latter was somehow able to keep going about her day like it's nobody's business. Maybe it's because she's probably been judged since before he was born and has gotten used to it. He was almost envious of her.

Lloyd was surprised to even see Heather outside of school or training but he didn't say or do anything about it. Freaking out won't make a difference. As long as he keeps his cool, he'll -

"Hey." Heather's sudden voice still made the green ninja flinch.

'Nailed it.' Even Lloyd's own brain berated his reaction.

The green ninja stole a brief glance at his teammate and her face was stoic but he knew that her mind was anything but calm. There was something in Heather's eyes that made him know she didn't forget what he did before. It didn't surprise him and he didn't expect much. He hasn't really interacted with the kunoichi a lot besides Nya and maybe Iris and he got into arguments with the latter several times. He still didn't know what to make of Aria and Luna was still kinda scared of him. Actually, the question he should be asking is if there's anything the shy girl is _not_ scared of.

Back in hi-def bleak reality, the Secret Ninja Force members stood awkwardly next to each other with nothing to say. Lloyd wasn't sure if he should bother trying to talk to Heather. Neither of them wanted to be here, much less face each other right now. The only thing they shared in common right now was for no one to notice them.

"Lloyd, could you help with… the..." Koko's voice trailed off when she saw him standing only three feet of someone other than her or his friends… at least the friends she knows he has.

'Oh no...' Even if he wanted her to be happy, Lloyd didn't want his mom to make a big deal out of this.

"Lloyd, who is she?" Koko began an unnecessary interrogation, "Is she a friend of yours?"

"...No..." Lloyd tightened his hood over his face.

"What's your name?" Koko still tried to get to know this girl hanging out with her child.

"Heather Stuart." The brunette answered calmly.

"Are you two acquaintances or something? How did you two become friends?"

"We share a class together," The teal kunoichi hesitated a bit before coming up with a believable story, "We were assigned to work together a few times."

"Oh, that's nice." Koko seemed to buy Heather's story.

"If you're not busy, you could join us if you want." She then offered the freckled girl to join her and her son, who was screaming inside.

"I got better things to do." Much to Lloyd's relief, the kunoichi of nature refused although he knew she was more interested in saving her own ass.

"Okay then… Well.. I hope we can see each other again." Koko went back to getting groceries with her son in tow.

Lloyd suddenly felt shivers run down his spine and he didn't have to turn around to know that Heather was sending an icy glare that could rival the powers of Zane's Ice Tank. He knew he was lucky to even be alive right now.

Once they were out of sight, Heather made a mad dash out of the store. She couldn't stay any longer in the same place as Lloyd and she even forgot why she even came there in the first place. There's no way she'll ever forget what Cole did the other day but she still can't stop thinking about the previous incident whenever Lloyd's nearby.

'How ironic,' The kunoichi of nature thought to herself, 'I came out here to relieve some stress only to get even more of it.'

Looks like Heather learned another rule of Ninjago: to live is to suffer.

* * *

 **Yeah, that lesson is one I know all too well.**

 **For quite a while now, I've been struggling to just… live. I won't make you sit through a sob story so I'll make it quick. My family took me to the doctors & they think I might have depression. Sometimes, I still want to just give up, even with all the plans I still have for this story. But like I said, I'm feeling a little better now & your encouragement helped me & I can't thank you enough. I've also been meaning to maybe post my opinion of seasons 8-10 now that they've been aired so I'll post that later. Again, thank you so much & I'll try to continue this story.**


	91. Something There

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Wow guys. This chapter is close to 100 chapters but nothing's happening so far. I feel like I'm letting everyone down. I'm still not feeling like myself but I'll try to pull through for you guys. So for now, please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 90: Something There

Ninjago High opened again and nobody was happy but none could match Lloyd's displeasure having to go back to that godawful place. However, despite being at the very bottom of the school caste system, it's not all about Lloyd. The other ninja also struggled to get readjusted to the hellish routines they've been going through for the last few years, some more than others.

Aria spent most of her time during class daydreaming and gazing at the outside world that lay beyond the windows. Ever since the attack, Garmadon and the Shark Army hasn't done anything and that left her with nothing to do and nothing unique happening in the city. She almost wished they would come back and their next move now.

'But we're supposed to stop them and bring peace to Ninjago as ninja, aren't we?' The whimsical girl asked herself. There's no way she could forget her true purpose as a ninja, not with Master Wu saying it all the time. The ninja must fend off all threats and protect Ninjago City and that was where she saw a catch in all of this.

If Garmadon and the Shark Army are stopped for good, then what purpose will the ninja have? Once Ninjago is saved, what's the point of keeping the ninja around? They'll have to disband and Aria will be back to wandering through life with no purpose.

'Purpose?'

Aria never really thought of being a kunoichi as her purpose. Then again, she didn't really put a lot of thought into what she should do with her life outside of school. She did want to have a well-paying job in the future but she can't even decide what kind of occupation to aim for. Then again, she can't think of a job that won't bore her out of her mind -

"Aria Fernandez!" A shrill voice interrupted her inner musings.

"Sorry, what?" The capricious girl was still a bit out of it.

"I've told you a billion times! Pay attention during class!" The loud voice yelled again.

The kunoichi of wind was brought back to Earth by a glare from Ms. Turner that could haunt the dark lord's sleepless nights for years to come.

"It's the first day of school in two weeks and she's already off in her own little world. What a moron." Violet scoffed a few seats over, her mean chuckles echoed by her lackeys.

Aria knew better than to talk back in the middle of class but before she knew it, the impulsive girl was back to staring out the window just like an anime protagonist.

* * *

With school coming to an end, Jay organized his locker until he was satisfied. He shut the door only to find Nya staring at him from the other side. Being the shy spaz he is, the blue ninja yelped in a rather unmanly tone.

"Good to see you too." The raven-haired girl merely smirked at his reaction.

"M-me too..." The lightning ninja responded by instinct, too flustered to realize his reply didn't make any sense. Nya stared at him with a blank expression for several moments which made the blue ninja all the more nervous.

"Are you gonna come over or what?" The kunoichi of water randomly spoke again.

"What are you talking about?" Jay asked, confused as ever.

"I'm almost done sprucing up my motorcycle but I might need some help with the finishing touches." Nya gave him the run-down to why she approached him in the first place.

Jay hesitated for a while until he opened his mouth to speak but the silver kunoichi beat him to it.

"So you're coming along? Great! I'll see you then!" She quipped and left without waiting for a reply.

Jay almost melted right on the spot. Time slowed down for him as Nya walked away, her gaze lingering on him and each step took several moments. Even the smallest movement the kunoichi of water made was confident yet elegant, just like the flow of the river. He didn't care if he was practically forced into helping Nya finish her pet project.

"Nya! Hurry up!" Kai nagged his sister at the entrance of the school.

"I'm coming! I wanna win that How Slow Can You Go Challenge!" Nya retorted and continued walking at a very sluggish pace while many students walked past her so no, that romantic slo-mo crap and all those stuff you see in the movies aren't real.

* * *

"Heather, your shift is over." The owner of Blossoming Memories dismissed his employee for today.

"Yeah, yeah..." The flower-loving girl sighed and hurried to gather her stuff.

The florist looked at his employee with concern. This wasn't the first time Heather was having an 'off' day but this has been going on for some time. He wasn't one to pry into her private life and all he can do was hope for the best.

"If anything's wrong, you can talk to me. Okay?" He offered some advice as his parting words.

The freckled girl didn't even respond when she shut the door and headed wherever she'll go next.

Heather barely took a couple of steps before bumping into none other than Aria.

"What brings you here?" The kunoichi of nature addressed her friend's surprising presence.

"I was just wandering around." The orange kunoichi shrugged nonchalantly.

"When do you _not_?" Heather quipped and went on her way with Aria in tow.

"Wait! We still have some time left before training!" The olive-skinned girl still followed her friend.

The kunoichi of nature said nothing but didn't stop the whimsical girl from following her.

"Heather! Where are we going? Wait for me!" Aria remained persistent and tried to keep up.

Heather finally stopped at the very edge of the city and Aria nearly collided with her. Luckily, she was able to stop herself and they both took in the lovely view of the skyline of Ninjago City. The kunoichi of wind quickly forgot what she originally

"Do you ever stop and think that there could be something more?" Heather asked, staring off into the natural terrain that lay beyond Ninjago City.

"Something more?" Aria pondered for a bit, "Oh! You mean you want to be like those princesses who get to sing and dance like in the movies?"

Heather gave Aria incredulous stare. Sometimes, she really wondered what goes on in her head.

"Where did you even get that idea?" The teal kunoichi raised an eyebrow at her teammate's… quirks.

"You know, we always see the -" Aria was about to trail off but was thankfully stopped.

"Never mind."

"So what were you trying to say again?"

"There could be other stuff that lie beyond the city. And maybe the same can be said for ourselves."

"I… am so confused..."

Aria may be an airhead but at least she listens (for the most part). Heather sighed before continuing.

"I still feel like there's something lying in store for us. Some sort of… destiny."

"As in… there's something we were meant to do…?"

Heather's only answer was a brief nod.

"I don't like the idea of having something already decided for you. I want to be in charge of what kind of person I'll be, what I'll do… and..." Aria started to ramble again.

"I understand what you're getting at. I would like to be in charge of my own destiny, that is once I find out what it is..." Heather found herself pondering over what could be her own fate.

Will she end up being just another ordinary citizen of Ninjago City?

Or could she become something more?

She was aware of how futile it is thinking over something that could drastically change. She has more than enough time to worry about all that later.

At least that's what she told herself...

* * *

Today was Kai and Zane's turn to head out into the open. What Master Wu told them before heading out was still fresh in their minds.

" _Before you go, be aware that things are not what they seem." Master Wu warned the ninja of ice and fire while they were still within earshot._

" _Yeah, we get it," Kai scoffed, "You've told us that a billion times."_

" _The reason I'm saying this right now could be right under your noses." The old man retorted._

 _Zane inspected the artificial skin between his nose and lips but Kai stopped him._

" _Enough cryptic crap. Just get to the point."_

" _Garmadon and his minions have been quiet for a long time. It is always calmest before the storm."_

" _Of course they'd be!" The fire ninja never missed an opportunity to expand his ego, "We kicked their asses plenty of times! They're probably scared of us by now!"_

" _Don't be so compliant yet, Kai," Wu warned the arrogant teen, "No one can know what will happen in the future."_

" _And Mom said that Garmadon was always a very stubborn person even before they hooked up," Lloyd added, "I'd be more surprised if he gives up at all. He might have some more plans up his sleeves."_

" _They might be hanging low so the next time they attack, no one would expect it nor would they have the means to be prepared." Aria gave her theory of what the dark lord was really up to._

" _Whatever Garmadon is up to, I would like for both of you to stay on your guard." Master Wu warned the duo one more time before sending them off._

And thus, the ninja of fire and ice were out in the open and on their guard for anything suspicious.

"I am becoming more concerned for Heather's emotional state," Zane started, "She appears to be still upset over some of our earlier incidents."

"Who cares?" Kai scowled, "If she wants to be a total bitch about the past, then good for her. But she better not drag the rest of us down with her."

The ice ninja anger welling up in his being upon hearing Kai talk badly about Heather and at the same time, left him confused.

What was it that made Heather so special to him?

He knew her and thought of her as a friend and trusty comrade just as much as the other ninja, thus she would be in the same standing as the others. If Kai said the same thing about another teammate, he would be just as upset so maybe Heather isn't so special compared to the others.

"I can only hope she will find her peace of mind soon." Zane concluded.

"I'd like to see that." Kai snorted with doubt.

"We should heed Master Wu's instructions in the event Garmadon is planning something sinister." The nindroid changed the topic to make the atmosphere a little less tense.

"Don't worry," Kai bragged again and took out his two katana, "I won't let anything happen to you or the rest of the team."

Zane was astonished by how quickly Kai's moods can shift. He was infuriated mere moments ago and now, he was filled with perhaps an excessive amount of confidence and fervor to protect his brethren. It was almost like he had a switch controlling his emotions, as impossible as it was. Kai too was aware of how he can be (relatively) calm one moment and becoming a raging inferno the next. It was almost jarring to him as well. It wasn't like he could control how he feels all the time. To the fire ninja, it's just a part of him that makes him… well… him.

The sound of lightly rustling leaves riled up the hothead and he didn't hesitate to brandish his blades.

"Come on out Garma-dork!" Kai barked. Zane can only give the red ninja a quizzical look at his insult.

A bird that was perched within the branches of the tree flitted away towards its next destination. The silence that followed only added to the red ninja's humiliation. Zane barely opened his mouth to speak but his human comrade stopped him.

"Not. A. Word." Kai growled at the nindroid.

The nindroid's lip curled into a slight smirk watching the fire ninja 'blow up' as Nya calls his tantrums.

* * *

Another day, another training session. That already became the norm for the Secret Ninja Force. Now, it was time for two of the ninja to duel and it's always up to Master Wu to decide who fights who.

"Cole." The old man summoned forth the earth ninja, who obeyed without a word.

This wasn't the first time Aria fought against the muscular ninja and she wasn't too happy about it. It's not that she finds it almost impossible to knock him off his feet, it's just… that.

"Begin the match!" Wu ordered the duel to commence.

Aria tried to think of a different way to take down her buff opponent. As usual, Cole stood his ground, holding his massive warhammer in a firm grip. Even without his mask, the orange kunoichi knew she won't be able to read his perpetually jaded expression. She took one cautious step…

And ran as fast as she could towards his left, hoping to take him by surprise.

The others can tell these two couldn't be more different. Cole always stood his ground and firm in his belief as well as fighting style while Aria never stood in one spot for long. In an ironic twist, her rapid movements have also become predictable and Cole waited for the moment she'll swoop down on him and swung his hammer towards her. The edge of the large head barely made contact with Aria's torso and she crashed down onto the hard ground.

"Cole! I was supposed to take you by surprise!" The olive-skinned girl complained.

"Moving around a lot is not the same as catching others by surprise." Wu chimed in for a second and Cole marched over to her. The orange kunoichi panicked and jumped away from the path of his mighty hammer. Soon, the duel devolved into a childish chase. Wu shook his head in disappointment and the rest of the ninja weren't sure how to react to the spectacle. It was kinda sad but at least Lloyd claimed he had something important to show them after this.

* * *

Finally, the ninja now had a couple more mechs added to their arsenal.

Heather and Aria's mechs, respectively the Land Tracker and Tornado Jet were finally finished. Now all that was left was Luna's mech. Now the ninja were becoming optimistic they'll have a fighting chance against Garmadon and whatever plans he'll come up with.

"Wow!" The kunoichi of wind couldn't stand still and ogled every nook and cranny of her new mech, "I can't believe this is real! My very own mech!"

The teal kunoichi kept any words she had to herself while examining the Land Tracker. She didn't want to admit it but Lloyd definitely has a knack for building things and the other mechs already proved it. Despite what he had done for her, she still couldn't shake off her grudge against him.

"It's not ready to use in battle yet," Lloyd had no qualms in bursting the excitable girl's bubble, "You've seen it happen already. You need to do some test runs first."

Aria pouted though the look of understanding in her eyes said otherwise. She didn't want to reenact that time Lloyd first used the Mech Dragon in battle.

"You can still check out some of the features if you want." Lloyd still offered the two kunoichi to have a go with their mechs.

Aria's excitement quickly turned into confusion once she got into the cockpit of the Tornado Jet.

"Uh… what am I supposed to do…?" The orange kunoichi gawked at the controls.

Lloyd grumbled in exasperation and climbed on. Last time he looked it up, being a team didn't mean having one person do all the work.

"This lever controls how strong you want the tornado to be." The green ninja pointed out how each of the buttons and gears worked.

"What tornado?" The orange kunoichi was at it again with all the needless questions.

Lloyd slapped his forehead so hard he swore the other ninja heard it, "Do you see this button here?" He pointed at the large light blue button just right of the steering wheel, "Press it and the power core will create a tornado. Once you charge it up the way you want it, press it again to unleash it."

"Really? Let me give it a try!" Aria tried to press it but was stopped by Lloyd's vice grip on her wrist.

"Don't!" The green ninja yelled in her face, "Just don't."

While Aria was giving Lloyd migraines, Heather went to check out how the controls of her mech would work, that is if she could climb into the cockpit above the legs.

"Heather, would you like some assistance?" Zane offered.

"I can get on by myself, thank you very much." The teal kunoichi snubbed him and tried to climb up on the legs, which set off the alarms. The sirens blared and the ninja feared they'll be discovered. Luckily, Lloyd was quick to react. He climbed into the cockpit, ignoring the alarm and turned it off. He pressed a couple of buttons and legs bent down, lowering the 'torso' so Heather could get on with ease.

"Uh… sorry…?" Lloyd's only reply was a cold stare from the kunoichi of nature.

Once the freckled girl was in the cockpit, the legs straightened, lifting her further from the ground.

Heather pressed one of the pedals with her foot and one of the legs took one step forward. It would be safe for her to assume some of the controls will be similar to a car except that she still can't drive.

"Face it Heather," Nya called out to her friend, "You're gonna need some help with your mech."

"Shove it!" The grumpy kunoichi snapped at her teammate.

"I will speak to her when training is over." Zane said before the silver kunoichi could respond.

While Zane's expressions were often borderline goofy, there was something in his eyes that convinced Nya he was in no mood for any frivolities. Perhaps that is what Heather needs at the moment.

* * *

Once today's lessons were finished, all Heather wanted to do was go home but fate had other plans.

"Heather, may I speak with you for a while?" The ice ninja beckoned the human girl to accompany him to an isolated corner of the docks. Heather had a slight hunch on what he wanted to talk about but he had a strange way of always gaining her trust no matter what.

"I am becoming more concerned for your psychological state," Zane started with exactly what the teal kunoichi expected, "Lloyd and Luna's mistakes are in the past. We cannot change the events that have already passed. We must learn from our mistakes so we can prepare for the future."

"Easy for you to say," Heather scowled but the nindroid was persistent, "You're just repeating the stuff Master Wu banters on about every day. Besides, you're an android, not a human. You can just forget it all or manipulate your personality with just a switch. You won't understand."

Zane felt like his very soul was struck down. That is if he had any. Whether or not he had one, the ice ninja couldn't deny the emotional distress of even Heather denying him any sense of humanity.

"Is that really what you think?" Zane asked, "Do you believe I am really nothing but a machine."

"I'm not saying you can't feel or think the same thing as humans do but you have to face the fact that you're still completely different from the rest of us. Humans will grow old and die and we sometimes let our emotions control us -"

"As yours are doing now?" The nindroid's voice was now as cold as the ice he was affiliated with. The teal kunoichi can only bite her lip, finding herself trapped in a metaphorical corner.

"Why are you doing this?" The ice ninja continued questioning her, "Why are you holding on to anger and the past? Is that not what Master Wu advised us against?"

Zane was still disturbed by Heather's earlier remarks because she was right. He did have switches that controlled how he feels or reacts to things that happen in everyday life and even affect his personality. He had a humor switch, sadness switch, and much to his displeasure, a memory switch. They spent so much time learning more about one another and Heather seemed to accept him for being the way he was. If she didn't really consider him the same, why did she wait until now to bring it up?

It was of little concern for now. First, he needed to get through to the teal kunoichi

"Zane, this has nothing to do with you. You can't fix everything." Heather remained stubborn as ever.

"We are but two parts of a whole team. It is important for us to solve our problems together. Heather please, I want to help you. I want to help the team." The nindroid pleaded.

"How can I be sure you truly want to help me or you're just doing this out of sheer pity?" The kunoichi of nature remained obstinate.

"It is my duty to help those in need. Whether you like it or not, I believe you are in need of help." The ice ninja was just as persistent.

"I'm not the one who needs help!" Heather tried to leave but Zane grabbed her arm, which wasn't the wisest thing to do.

"Heather, please!"

"Let go of me!"

The teal kunoichi wrested her arm away from the nindroid. The way she shouted alarmed the android but worst of all was the look she gave him. Zane saw no sign of the amiable flower-loving girl he got to know over the past months in her eyes. He saw nothing but anger and perhaps… fear…

"If you cannot let go of the past, you may not have a future." Zane's voice was low with foreboding. He seemed to have given up if the ice ninja backing away indicated anything.

Zane turned and paused to give Heather nothing but a somber glance and walked away. Heather was left pondering over what the hell just happened. This was the first time she saw the nindroid so upset and it was more than a little unnerving. She never felt it before but now, Heather had another strange feeling that things may be much more different from here on out…

* * *

 **With only 1 mech to go, the events of the movie are drawing closer but I'm not sure if I'll get there soon. I don't know if keeping up with this story will be worth it. But I don't want to let you down either. Until then, see you later.**


	92. Testing Patience

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hey guys, I'm still alive. In this chapter we'll once again shift the focus from one kunoichi to another but don't worry, the ninja will still get plenty of attention. For now, please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 91: Testing Patience

Heather tossed and turned in her bed all night. Ever since her 'talk' with Zane, she's been feeling… in fact, she didn't quite know what she was feeling. All she knew is that she was troubled by all this. She checked the time to discover it was barely past three.

'Tomorrow's Saturday so at least I won't have worry about school...' The teal kunoichi tried looking at the bright side but things weren't looking as such. After even more tossing and turning, she knew it's a waste of time staying in bed.

"Heather, is everything alright?" Her father asked from other side of the door. The kunoichi of nature opened the door and emerged, looking completely bedraggled, concerning her parent.

"Oh dear… Are you feeling ill? Is there something you need?" The middle-aged man dropped whatever was on his mind and tried to appease his child.

"I can't sleep. I'm gonna go get some water." Heather brushed him off and headed for the kitchen.

Heather's throat was relieved by the rush of cool water as she gulped down the cup's content but her mind was still full of troubles. Her dark blue eyes lingered at the door leading to her garden. Heather would always go there to cool off and even if it was late, maybe that's what she needs right now.

The chirps of the crickets and the soft whistles of the gentle breeze accompanied the motley flowers swaying ever so gently with the wind. The fresh fragrances of the flowers always soothed the kunoichi of nature yet they failed to do the trick right now.

'What's the use?' Heather's head pounded with all these confusing emotions, 'At this rate, I'm never gonna get better. God, what is wrong with me?'

The flower-loving girl still couldn't get the negative emotions out of her head but that opened another can of worms. What was she so frustrated about?

Now that she thought about it, she hardly thought of Lloyd or Luna since confronting Zane. He might be the one making her feel this way. The Heather that met Zane for the first time wouldn't consider it possible. He was probably the sweetest person in Ninjago. What is there to hate? Then again, it's not really hate she's feeling. All these things going on in her head were too damn confusing. The kunoichi of nature leaned against the door and slid down until she sat on the soft earth, clutching her skull and that was the last thing she knew before everything went black. It seems sleep has finally caught up to her, just not the way she expected it to...

* * *

The ninja knew this day would come but they were still surprised when it did.

Garmadon was back at it, terrorizing the city with more sea creature-themed mechs and threatening for the ninja to come out and fight. As much as they didn't want to give him what he wants, they still have their duty to uphold. Lloyd didn't bother telling everyone to get ready for battle. He and most of the ninja headed straight for their mechs sans Aria and Heather, who still needed a couple more test runs before actually using them in battle.

Luna didn't have time to say anything before…

"Luna, you must join the others for this mission." Master Wu spoke.

"W-what!?" The timid girl was flabbergasted, "I-I don't… Are you sure? I might not..."

"The only way to conquer your fears is to face them head on or they will follow you forever." The old mentor went on with his usual wax poetics.

"But knowing Garmadon, this could be a trap." Jay chimed in.

"And it's gonna be the same thing all over again," Kai scoffed, "We go over there and kick his ass until he runs away… And then the cycle repeats."

For some reason, Aria looked uneasy when the fire ninja spoke of the cycle the ninja have been going through since their first mission but her reaction went unnoticed.

"It's not like we have a choice," Iris responded while climbing onto the Volk Titan, "We'll just have to keep fending him off until he gets tired of it."

Being the only one without a mech, the kunoichi of sound hitched a ride on the Mech Dragon.

"This is gonna be your first battle since… well… the 'incident'. Don't mess up." Lloyd tried to encourage his teammate but he certainly has his way with words. The only reason Luna didn't complain was that she knew it wouldn't make a difference. She held on while the Mech Dragon slowly lifted itself off the ground and flew off, followed by the rest of the active mechs.

* * *

Just as both sides expected, the ninja and Shark Army met within the city. The largest mech belonging to the enemy and the Mech Dragon were face-to-face, particularly the pilots.

"So we meet again, ninja." Garmadon greeted the ragtag group, lowering his voice and growling when he got to 'ninja'. His beady red eyes locked on to the main ninja, the one who's been causing nothing but trouble. The green ninja glared right back with his intense eyes to match his signature color.

Lloyd still felt uneasy facing his own father, especially since he still didn't recognize him or have an idea who he really is.

'It doesn't matter,' The green ninja shook his head, 'I don't need him in my life.'

Garmadon took notice of the green ninja's eerie silence and being the arrogant warmonger he is, had the wonderful idea of provoking him.

"What's the matter?" The dark lord sneered, "I thought you'd still act all high and mighty. Guess you're not all you're cracked up to be. At least you have the guts to come begging for defeat."

"No," The ninja leader remained defiant, "I'm just not stupid enough to fight a battle I can't win."

Before anyone could do anything, Garmadon commanded his big shark mech to attack with a barrage of missiles. Luckily, Lloyd and the others had a hunch this would happen and escaped in time. If it's a fight the dark lord wants, then it's a fight he's gonna get.

"NINJA-GO!" The other ninja didn't hesitate to join the fray with their signature motto.

The Water Strider dove straight into the water where most of the lackeys thought they would be safe. The spider-like limbs of the silver kunoichi's mech allowed it to fight against the mechs hidden in the waters with ease.

What few flying mechs Garmadon's forces had chased after the Lightning Jet. Thankfully, the pilot had a plan up his sleeve. The electric charger was at full capacity and the blue ninja made sure not to lose the enemies until the time was right. The already bright sky almost blinded those who got to witness the Lightning Jet's true potential. The large burst of electric energy fried the systems in the Shark Army aircrafts, tilting the battle further in the ninja's favor. The land-bound mechs were no slouches either. Kai relished burning down any foes foolish enough to get too close to his mech and Cole mixed on the turntable of the Quake Mech's cockpit, unleashing sonic booms and punches. Zane was in full control of his tank and he froze any enemies foolish enough to come within range of his ice beam's vicinity.

The Mech Dragon and Volk Titan fought like the beasts they were modeled after, thrashing the smaller mechs with their claws and fangs. The green dragon occasionally launched a barrage of missiles while the mechanical wolf fired powerful beams from the cannon within its head though there was nothing to necessitate it at full power. With much of the Shark Army battling inside mechs, Aria, Heather, and Luna didn't get to do much, not that they tried. Some of the goons did fight on foot and they weren't all that hard in the first place.

Soon, the smoke cleared and both forces were heavily reduced. The Mech Dragon stood tall amid all the carnage. As if to mirror it, the only evil mech left was the one piloted by Garmadon himself. The others felt that this will end in an epic showdown between the dark lord and the green ninja. On the other hand, they somehow sensed it's still too early for such a huge occasion to take place. Garmadon and Lloyd glared at each other during the many moments of tense silence.

"I don't care how many battles we'll fight or how long it'll take. You _will_ get out of my life." The green ninja muttered darkly. No one, not even the ninja, had ever seen him so pissed.

"Oh, so now it's all about you?" Garmadon retorted and if the ninja didn't know any better, the overly ambitious warlord was trying to provoke the ninja leader.

"Don't let him get to you, Lloyd." Nya whispered through the communication links within the mechs.

Lloyd's fists shook so much it was probably white underneath his gloves but kept his temper in check.

"I'm only gonna say this once! Get out! Get out of Ninjago and stop ruining my life!" The ninja leader pretty much commanded the dark lord.

"How could I ruin your life? We've only met like, a couple of times! I barely even know you!" The dark lord dismissed his enemy's outburst.

Lloyd's blood boiled and the ninja didn't have to look up close to know he was now beyond pissed.

"Lloyd! Focus!" Iris reprimanded the green ninja before he could surrender himself to wrath.

Now, the green ninja just realized he could end it all right here, right now. Yet some part of him didn't want the dark lord gone so quickly.

The other ninja were still shocked by Lloyd's anger. True, he has a lot to be angry about. Not even Kai or Nya had ever seen so much rage emanating from him. The green ninja continued staring at his own father for what felt like forever before he commanded his dragon to retreat but Garmadon just had to make sure he'll have as little dignity as possible.

"Just as I thought." The dark lord said with an arrogant chuckle.

Before anyone could stop him, Lloyd turned the Mech Dragon around and fired with a slew of missiles from every part of its body from its limbs to its tail and even to its own head. It was almost comical if it weren't for the green ninja's rage.

Lloyd hated to even make Garmadon think he won but he knew he can't stay here anymore. The Mech Dragon flew off and the ninja quickly followed, not bothering to wait and see Garmadon's reaction to the sudden attack.

"Lloyd! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Kai finally let his temper fly. Lloyd remained silent, much to the fiery ninja's annoyance.

"Cut him some slack," Cole defended the green ninja, "How would you feel if that was _your_ dad?"

The fire ninja's silence assured his easygoing comrade that he learned his lesson or so he believed.

"I'm more concerned with what Garmadon might do next time he attacks," Jay joined in, "What Lloyd did might've triggered something in him. I was expecting him to explode but he didn't do jack shit."

"We can't know for certain what goes on in his head," Iris added, "We should consider ourselves lucky to get out in one piece."

The ninja finished the journey back in silent tension, avoiding Lloyd lest they awaken a dragon's wrath.

* * *

Lunchtime finally rolled in at Ninjago High and the students were relieved to have a moment to relax after hours of boring lectures. As always, the ninja sat together while Lloyd ate at the rooftop. As she waited for her brother, Nya caught a glimpse of Heather looking uneasy.

'Dammit. This has gone on long enough.' The kunoichi of water was getting sick of Heather's crap and if no one else is gonna step up, then she'll take matters into her own hands.

"Nya, is something amiss?" Zane was puzzled by the Hinata sister's sudden reaction until he saw that she was heading in Heather's direction. He sensed that the kunoichi of water intended to repeat what he had done the other day and that he shouldn't stop her. Heather needed help and he won't deny it to her.

"Heather. You and me. Outside. Now." The silver kunoichi got into her teammate's face and wasted no time dragging her outside. The teal kunoichi was too confused to fight back as the tenacious kunoichi led her to the parking lot at the back of the school.

Before Heather could speak, Nya beat her to it.

"Don't bother with excuses," The Hinata sister glowered, "I'm getting sick of you acting like a bitch for such a stupid reason. All that crap is in the past and there's nothing you can do. Get over it."

The teal kunoichi tried to respond but the tenacious girl beat her again.

"Listen to me, we all mess up at some point in our lives. If you're gonna keep this up, you're gonna put yourself in a hole you can't get out of."

"It's not what you think!" Heather suddenly shouted, briefly catching her teammate off guard.

"If it isn't, then what is it?" Nya still didn't trust Heather but decided to hear her out.

"I… It doesn't have to do with Lloyd or Luna anymore."

"What are you getting at!?"

"I don't know! And that's the problem! How am I supposed to get over it if I don't know what it is!?"

Nya's face softened a bit was remained stern. She was willing to give Heather one last chance but that will be all.

"Whatever it is you're upset about, let it go. There are much bigger problems to worry about than the next time another ninja screws up. Move on." The kunoichi of water remained steadfast.

"But how can I do that if I don't even know what I'm upset about?"

"Are you actually angry or are you just telling yourself that?"

Heather was at a complete loss of words. She never really thought of it that way and that idea never crossed her mind before or if such a thing could be possible. Before she could say anything, the school bell rang, warning students that lunch was almost over.

"Whatever it is, give it a rest. We need to look at the big picture so we can have what it takes to be the Secret Ninja Force." Nya spoke one last time before heading back to class.

Heather was now alone, still confused and even disturbed by her own thoughts. Despite her actions, she also wanted to move on towards the future. There was one kind of person she believed she is but these recent events left her questioning herself and she began to fear… herself…?

What made sense to her before started to confuse her. It could be from listening to Master Wu's weird riddles all the time. Whatever it is, all Heather can do is keep heading towards the future… and maybe that's the only way she'll find what she's looking for...

* * *

Of all the people Lloyd had to bump into in front of the warehouse hideout was Heather but much to his surprise, she wasn't super pissed. However, she looked too exhausted to be angry. The green ninja was never one to press his luck but he wasn't the wisest person in Ninjago. That distinction belonged to his uncle.

"I thought you'd still be mad at me." He said and much to his surprise, the freckled girl talked back and it wasn't to spew insults or passive-aggressive banter.

"I… don't know how to say this… I'm not angry at both of you anymore… I'm still upset but… I have no idea what it's about… Maybe I'm being stubborn… Nya might be right..."

"What does Nya have to do with this?"

"Never mind. The least I can do now is focus on training. I'm gonna do us all a favor. That's what both of you and Luna want, right?"

"I guess..." Lloyd still wasn't sure if Heather was being sincere or not. He didn't feel truly satisfied even when he knew he should. He quickly brushed it off as youthful selfishness. At the very least, she's now keeping it to herself. Whether or not that will be a good thing remains to be seen...

* * *

The Tornado Jet hovered several feet off the ground during another test run. Aria was starstruck being able to pilot the powerful mech. The olive-skinned girl was tempted to play around with the controls until Jay just had to spoil the fun.

"Wait!" The blue ninja stopped her before she could get on a creepy power high.

"Come on! I just wanna see what this baby can do!" The spirited kunoichi complained.

"I just don't want to risk anything bad happening."

"Yeah. I might not say the same for you but we don't want to do anything stupid." Kai added.

"I may not be the smartest person in Ninjago but at least I don't go around making assumptions about anything!" The other ninja sensed an argument was gonna go down, "And won't there be at least one person in the city who thinks what we're doing is stupid?"

"This isn't about what people think. It's about keeping up with our duty." Iris retorted.

"And then what? What's gonna happen if Garmadon's gone for good?" The kunoichi of wind still didn't seem to get it, "There's nothing else to protect Ninjago from if we get rid of him and that would make being a ninja pointless. Master Wu went on and on about that 'finding yourself', 'destiny', and all that crap. What good will it be if Garmadon's defeated first? Doing all these things won't be worth it. And I thought I'd get to do something different in my life."

"So that's what you think this all is?" Kai accused the orange kunoichi, "Being a ninja is all some sort of game to you. You don't really care about protecting others or finding your destiny. You just join every little fad that catches your eye and then abandon them once you're tired of them. I should've known better than to think you belong in the team."

Much to everyone's surprise, Aria didn't say anything and that made it all the more intimidating. The orange kunoichi jumped out of her mech and marched towards Kai. She clearly looked like she wanted to say something and they weren't kind. Luckily, whatever words she had to say to Kai failed to fall on any ears.

"Fighting won't resolve anything," Master Wu got between the potential quarrel, "It's also not for you to decide what kind of person can or can't be a ninja. I suggest giving each other time before coming to any conclusions."

"Enough!" Master Wu raised his voice and since it didn't happen often, it got everyone's attention, "I don't want any conflicts to happen under this roof. You won't be able to save Ninjago if you can't learn to work together in harmony."

Kai and Aria still narrowed their eyes at each other and electric sparks met between their gaze in their epic staredown.

"Settle down you two," Cole took up the role as mediator, "The more focused we are on the objective, the sooner we can get this over with."

One by one, the ninja diverted their attention back to training and once everyone's backs were turned, Kai and Aria went back to glaring at each other.

If Kai had any optimism that Aria belonged in the team, this incident completely killed it. He should've known better than to believe someone as scatterbrained and fickle as her will be of any help nor will she really understand what it means to protect others, much less take any consideration of them. Even Nya knew that better than Aria ever would.

Aria especially hated the way Kai kept belittling her. It's not her fault for thinking these thoughts. She never even thought being a ninja would be like this but it was certainly different from everything she knew prior to joining.

"Zane, what's wrong?" Luna caught the ice ninja's expression shift from his usual blissful unawareness to anxious foreboding.

"I sense a great disturbance among the team." The nindroid shuddered.

The purple kunoichi turned around and saw Kai and Aria glaring daggers at each other. In a weird way, she was kinda expecting it. They proved to be quarrelsome every once in a while so it didn't come off as a surprise. On the other hand, it seems Heather isn't giving her much flak for her massive screw-up from before. She wanted to make things right again and at least she wasn't caught in the middle of all the tension anymore. It's better them than her.

* * *

Back in the Hinata household, Ray suddenly shivered.

"Ray? What's the matter?" Maya noticed her husband's strange reaction.

"Nothing serious," Her spouse shrugged it off, "I just had this strange feeling… I don't know why but I thought about Kai at that moment..."

"Don't worry. Our son can take care of himself."

"You're right. I might've been thinking too much."

"I never thought you'd say those words."

"Hey!" Ray playfully jabbed his wife's arm.

Ray and Maya knew there will be a time when Kai and Nya will discover the truth but they planned to wait for the day they'll be ready to learn.

* * *

 **It's gonna be a while before the ninja learn more of Ninjago's secrets. I still have plenty of plans for the future but I'm not sure if they'll make it. I'll see you next time.**


	93. Breaking Point

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hey guys. I'm back with another update. We'll get more ninja interactions while Wu's unnecessarily cryptic metaphors take their toll on one of them. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 92: Breaking Point

The citizens normally going about their day in Ninjago stared in awe at the cool vehicle zooming down the road towards Ninjago High. The paint job proudly displaying the famous Lady Iron Dragon caught everyone's eyes and even fooling some into thinking the suddenly vanished warrior has risen again to protect the city. The rider of the motorcycle was a young woman dressed in torn jeans, a striped top, and a black leather jacket and her face was concealed by her helmet making her look like the cutting edge of badass.

Before long, the rider's destination was in her sight. Ninjago High loomed closer but she was planning to make the end of her ride just as grandiose. Students and staff jumped out of the way as the vehicle made a beeline for the entrance, ready to go out like a pro.

The motorcycle burst through the doors and skidded to a side-way halt in the middle of the hall.

"Yeah!" The rider pumped her fist before taking off her helmet.

Nya shook her head, letting her messy locks sway to and fro before tying it up into her usual ponytail. Most of her classmates crowded around her and her cool ride, gushing over how cool it is thought no one was as starstruck as Jay. Not only was the shy guy obsessed with technology, he helped her finish the vehicle and now that he got to see it in action, he felt like he had done something special for Nya. The silver kunoichi remained oblivious to her admirer's feelings and kept soaking up all the attention.

"Hinata Nya! No vehicles are allowed in the hall!" Several teachers scolded her, not that she cared.

Ironically, the only person who wasn't awestruck at all was Nya's hotheaded brother. He already knew of his sister's plan to revamp their dad's old motorcycle for her own use. That and she always bragged about her 'new baby' at home. Now that everyone had seen her sweet ride, she's gonna boast about it every waking moment of their shared school lives and even beyond. Oh the joy.

The deafening heavy metal music that came seemingly from nowhere made Kai know that Cole's now standing next to him. The buff ninja didn't bother saying anything, being a young man of few words. It wasn't long before another friend arrived on wheels.

"Hello, fellow teenagers." Zane literally glided down the hall with the wheels built into his feet.

"What's up?" Kai greeted the nindroid.

"The ceiling." The naive humanoid replied after making sure to look up first. Cole let out a small snort of bemusement while Kai rolled his amber eyes. He soon caught sight of another girl and he instantly grew sour.

Aria had a sinking feeling she was being watched despite being in a crowded hall. She looked around and caught Kai staring at her. Despite being the fire ninja, there was no warmth in his eyes, only cold disdain and a slight hint of disappointment.

'What's the big deal?' The orange kunoichi scoffed, 'Since when did he ever care about me? All we do together is training and eating. It's not like we have something beyond that.'

The capricious teen huffed like a child denied their favorite toy marched off without saying a word. If she said anything, it wouldn't make a difference. She already couldn't wait for school to be over with so she can get as far away as possible from that judgemental hothead.

* * *

One sign Aria loved to see was 'Sale' at any fashion outlet and today, she found it at Eternally 18. She would usually go all out but today, she just wasn't feeling it. A lot of new cute clothes were finally out yet the shopaholic couldn't bring herself to do what she enjoyed best. Her mind was stuck pondering over the countless things that could happen the next time Garmadon attacks.

The ninja could defeat them or some twist of bad luck will put them on the losing end. If they win, it's not gonna bring anything new and if they lose… let's not go there.

Other than that, she was still upset over what Kai said about her.

Yeah, she has trouble keeping her own mind on track all the time but that doesn't mean the fire ninja can judge her nor does that make her unfit to be a kunoichi. Master Wu still saw potential in her or at least that's what she believed and she was sure he still does. If he didn't, the old man would've kicked her out by now. And all this is compared to Luna and look where she is now.

The first person she considered asking for advice was none other than Heather. She may have her own problems regarding what she just went through but she seemed to have snapped out of it. Ever since they first became friends, they often confided in each other whenever they were feeling down.

'We need to talk.' Aria sent a message to Heather's phone and went back to wandering around. There was little else she felt like doing and soon found herself wandering aimlessly while waiting for the teal kunoichi's reply. Having been in the Ninjago City Mall countless times, she knew the layout of all three floors and which store was where like the back of her hand. She went through the whole mall at least four times once her phone finally buzzed with Heather's reply.

'What now, Aria?' The flower-loving kunoichi finally texted back, 'Is this gonna be another one of your crazy shopping sprees?'

'Am I actually becoming predictable!?' Aria took slight offense to her friend's reply but texted back.

'Not exactly. There's a bunch of sales and new releases going on but for some reason, I don't want to do it. Lately, most of the things I enjoy just don't sound so appealing anymore.' The kunoichi of wind began her latest string of messages with Heather.

'Is Lloyd finally accepted by the community?'

'What does Lloyd have to do with this?'

'Are you listening to yourself? You never miss a sale and now you're telling me you don't wanna do it.'

'I can't help it. I just can't bring myself to do what I like anymore.'

'If something's going on, you can tell me.'

The kunoichi of wind paused for a moment. She was hesitant to know what Heather may think of her if she tells her about her problems.

'Aria, where are you? Are you still there?' Heather texted again.

'I'm still here,' The olive-skinned girl began typing, 'Remember that little argument I had with Kai the other day?'

'Oh yeah. I almost thought you were gonna kill each other. What about it?'

'Since then, I've been asking myself a lot of questions. Is being a ninja really for me? Am I making too many assumptions or am I letting Kai get to me?'

'You should've known that being a ninja would take a lot of hard work and it won't be the same as in the shows. I thought you would know better with all those clubs you've dropped.'

'Don't remind me. I feel like the same thing's happening again.'

'Well you do have a way of going into things and leave them once they don't meet your expectations.'

'You're one to talk after the way you've been the last few days.'

'That's completely different. Besides, I'm over it. Now tell me what's wrong.'

'I just told you. Nothing I like sounds so great anymore and I'm having second thoughts about… well… pretty much everything.'

'Maybe you should change up your routine a bit or try something different. That's kinda how I decided to give this ninja thing a go. At least that's my experience. It might not be the same for you.'

'That's it?'

'Pretty much. BTW my break is over. See ya later.'

Aria got off her phone with a grunt of frustration. Not even Heather can help her now. She can't even bring herself wondering what the answers will be because not even thinking about it will find it...

* * *

The forest beyond the city provided a tranquil sanctuary for wildlife. The chirps of the birds inhabiting the untarnished territory echoed until they were drowned out by booming thuds of some sort of giant trespassing into their land. The source of the cacophony was a monstrous mech trudging through the forest on its tall legs followed closely by a white tank radiating with cold energy.

Heather was out on another test run with the Land Tracker with the Ice Tank following close behind.

"How are you faring, Heather?" Zane's voice echoed making it sound like the tank itself was speaking.

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of this." The teal kunoichi was cautiously optimistic since nothing was going wrong for now. She guided her mech deeper into the woods but all the trees began to make it difficult for the Land Tracker to continue walking on its legs.

'Guess it's time to try this out.' Heather flipped the switch to change her mech's method of travel.

The Land Tracker folded its legs while the plating unfolded to expose several wheels which were then wrapped in tank tracks, enabling easier travel. Both pilots haven't forgotten about the potential threat of Garmadon's forces lurking in the forest and kept an eye out for anything suspicious. For now, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"You have done well piloting the Land Tracker," Zane commended the kunoichi of nature, "Let us keep training so we can protect Ninjago."

"Yeah..."

The nindroid caught Heather's visage through the windshield of her mech and saw how stressed she appeared to be despite the good results of their lesson.

"Why do you appear troubled?" The ice ninja sought out answers to his teammate's plight.

"I'm a bit concerned for Aria."

"I know she's not exactly the most diligent person but there was something about the way she acted the other day that's a bit concerning. I'm finally ready to be part of a complete team and now I think she's gonna consider quitting the team."

"But a ninja endures. A ninja must never quit."

"Aria might not consider herself to be a ninja anymore. She's very impulsive and once something she's initially interested in becomes boring to her, she drops it like an old toy. She might even end up leaving the Secret Ninja Force. Even if she isn't kunoichi material, I find myself dreading if she does quit."

"It is highly likely Master Wu will try to remedy this."

"Is he? Or will he ramble on with some weird turn of phrase?"

Zane fell silent for several seconds until asking, "How is it possible for a person turn a phrase?"

"It's just a figure of speech."

"And how can an intangible concept be given form?"

Heather was at a complete loss of words with Zane's naivete though it also made him endearing in his own odd way.

"What do you think will happen if Aria does leave the team?" The white ninja asked.

"I don't know… Besides everyone going crazy..."

"Even if you do not want her to leave, the choice is for Aria alone."

"I understand..."

"Let us return… and see what the future will hold for the team."

The pair went back into their mechs and headed back to the city. Whatever going's on with Aria must be solved by the orange kunoichi herself but that doesn't mean they can't do something about it...

* * *

Lloyd knew he should be surprised but he couldn't bring himself to react in any way when he found a third pitch black 'mole', this time on his torso. He didn't feel like making the effort to have it checked out. Doctors claimed they couldn't find anything wrong the previous times and he had a feeling they'll say the same thing.

"Lloyd! You're gonna be late for school!" His mother beckoned him from the kitchen.

"Mom…?" Lloyd considered talking to her about his skin issue but hesitated the moment he saw how concerned she looked.

The green-eyed teen wasn't sure if he wanted to add one more thing for his already careworn parent to fret over. She already had so much weight on her shoulders and unlike a certain four-armed villain, she didn't deserve to have even more burdens to bear. Even if he keeps it secret, she'll find out sooner or later. It's as inevitable as Garmadon's next attempt to conquer Ninjago.

"What is it, Lloyd?" Koko noticed how uneasy her child looked.

"Don't worry about it. It's the usual crap." Lloyd dismissed her and grabbed a piece of toast to eat on the way to school. Today, he's gonna do some roleplay as an anime schoolgirl.

"Oh! One more thing!" Koko stopped him to give him a kiss on the cheek, "Have a great day, sweetie!"

"I'll try." Lloyd said sheepishly and swiftly left.

With Lloyd gone, Koko finally had the apartment to herself, at least until she has to go to work in a few minutes. She kept her eyes on the TV reporting for any strange activity as of late and wondered when the city will need to ninja again. Seeing those young heroes resist Garmadon's forces filled the former warrior with a slight longing for the past. Even today, parenthood was more challenging than a battle, especially with everyone knowing what kind of person she started a family with.

The ninja did show some potential, having defeated the Shark Army plenty of times and they garnered quite the fanbase, especially the green ninja. There was something about the ninja leader that was so familiar. Koko knew that was preposterous since she never met him in person. Aside from that, she felt that he could be a good role model for her son. As long as Garmadon's around, Lloyd may never find any peace in Ninjago and the green ninja seemed determined to make it that way.

All she can do for now is hope for the best. For Lloyd...

* * *

The music club gathered for the first time since the disaster at school. Just as everyone expected, Brad didn't take having his masterpiece ruined well at all.

"It could've been great!" The melodramatic club leader sobbed and banged his head against the wall, "It was supposed to be greatest work of art since _ever_!"

The other club members stood back to let their classmate blow off some steam. Cole gently patted his shoulder to calm him down until he could do little else but sniffle and mourn.

"If we get enough support, we could do it again." Rumi tried to appease Brad.

"What's the point!? Everyone already expected it and if we do it again, it won't have the wow factor it had when it first premiered! Where am I gonna get my newest idea!?"

"There are much more important things in life than one musical." Luna tried to console Brad with the lesson she had learned that fateful night. And just like that, a light bulb turned on in his head.

"You're right! I can't let just one shitty night get to me! I'm gonna make another musical!" Brad leaped out of his slump, taking everyone else by surprise.

"Wait, what!?" The kunoichi of sound was shocked by her leader's random outburst.

"Just because one musical failed doesn't mean it's the end of the world! And it was Garmadon's fault anyway! There's no way he can mess up every performance! We're gonna make another!"

"Welp, it's official. Brad lost it." Aki, one of the would-be actors on that disastrous night, quipped with everyone else silently agreeing with him while Brad himself remained oblivious.

"We're gonna create our biggest project yet! It will be even better than that musical and I want _you_ to play a part in it!" Brad's eyes shone with fiery determination that almost frightened everyone.

"T-that's not what I m-meant…!" Luna was still flabbergasted by Brad's sudden mood shift.

Cole couldn't help but snicker at the purple kunoichi's predicament but still offered his two cents.

"No need to rush," The music-loving teen said, "You've got plenty of time before your next big break."

"But I don't think -" The timid girl tried to interrupt.

"Pursue your dreams, do you best, yada yada. That's probably what you want, right?"

Luna couldn't believe what she was hearing. And she thought Cole was always the dependable type. Now here he was almost encouraging her to go down the same path again. Now he's the one making assumptions about her and it was weird, almost like looking into a mirror.

'Oh god, am I really that shallow?' The kunoichi of sound cringed upon realizing how naive she was.

"Now come!" Brad literally dragged Luna and the rest of the club to wherever the hell he's going, "We have a lot of work to do if we're gonna go up and beyond!"

Cole followed close by, wanting to see how this shitstorm will go down.

* * *

Master Wu shook his head in disappointment when Aria fell on her bottom for… he stopped counting after fifteen. The kunoichi of wind was so unfocused and she seemed concerned with other stuff while training though he can't blame her. Concentration is always so difficult to maintain no matter the age, profession, or circumstances. Training right now won't be good for the impetuous teen making a fool out of herself.

"I've seen enough for today. You are dismissed." The elderly mentor halted the training session.

Iris understood yet was disappointed that her opponent didn't give her all in the duel.

Before Aria can enjoy her break, the bearded man stopped her.

"I sense doubt within you," Wu singled out Aria, "Doubt isn't inherently a bad thing but it will lead to the destruction of all hopes and ambitions more than failure ever will if left unchecked."

"Doubt? What are you talking about?" The orange kunoichi asked out of nervousness.

"You must face the truth in order to overcome all doubts. That is something I had to learn for myself. I understand what it's like to have your expectations confounded."

"H-how do you know…!?"

"I have seen many things in my long life and I can tell what's going on in young teenager's head."

"That's creepy."

"It comes with being the mysterious old mentor. Come. I shall tell you of my experiences."

Wu sat in his usual corner with a cup of tea and beckoned Aria to join him. She hesitated a bit before seating herself in front of him. Despite knowing he'll just give her some cryptic advice, she felt like she was in trouble. Damn instincts.

"Believe it or not, I too was a teenager with my own problems," Wu began recalling his teen years, "I held many beliefs based on my own assumptions and indeed there were times my very will was tested whenever my perceptions were proven wrong. It's never pleasant to be told you're wrong but it is only by making mistakes do we learn what is truly right. I've made many mistakes along the way to become the old man you see in front of you."

"I see your point but this has little to do with mistakes."

"Then why do you doubt?" The question caught Aria completely off guard.

"I… don't know..." The orange kunoichi struggled to find an answer but felt compelled to respond, "All the stuff I've done up to this point never gave me any fulfillment nor do I feel any real changes."

"People learn many things and the most important of all is oneself. You must know yourself to find out what is it you truly want as well as what you need. One thing to ask yourself is why do you do the kind of things you believe you enjoy doing."

"Does it really have to be this complicated?"

"It will if you allow it to."

"But I don't want it to be complicated yet it is! I can't control everything in my life!"

"True, though one must have a sense of purpose before discovering who they are."

"Stop it with all these crappy metaphors and cryptic mumbo-jumbo!" Aria lost her cool and everyone was now paying attention to her exploding in front of Master Wu, who remained composed as ever.

"You keep telling us about how we will find ourselves and the answers will come to us but look at us! We're still in square one and you're supposed to be teaching us! Not speaking in riddles and drink tea all freakin' day! We've been going around in circles and nowhere close to defeating Garmadon! And I still don't know who I am besides being a ninja and that's all of us! If I'm unique, then who the hell am I!? Who else am I if I'm not a ninja!? If being part of your mind games won't get me anywhere I don't even know why I'm still here!"

The orange kunoichi ran away before anyone else can stop her.

"Aria!" Heather tried to go after her friend but Wu grabbed her shoulder, halting her.

"Leave her be," The bearded mentor said coolly, "This is another lesson she must learn on her own."

"But what if she can't do that on her own!? You're supposed to be our teacher aren't you!? You should be the one guiding us! Not throw us into a loop!" The teal kunoichi argued.

"Even if I told her more, it won't make a difference." Wu still stood by his… teaching methods.

"I still don't think Aria has what it takes to be a ninja but you don't just abandon your students when they need help!" Kai also stood up against Wu much to everyone's surprise, especially after spending all day in school antagonizing the kunoichi of wind.

"Help isn't an exclusively outside source." Wu remained cryptic much to his students' frustration.

"You're not talking about those crappy 'self-help' books are you?" Jay quipped, "I tried those and they don't help at all. It's just a bunch of useless shi -"

"Okay. We get it." Cole cut off the lightning ninja.

Even with Aria's sudden outburst and everyone else ganging up on him, Wu remained unfazed. It was only a matter of time before his speeches will lead to something like this. He was already prepared for his students to give him what for and perhaps he deserves it. This was all but one drop in the flowing river of time. He won't be around to guide the ninja forever. One day, they'll have to face their issues and learn more without him. Until that day comes, he'll face whatever comes at him.

* * *

 **So yeah. Wu probably wouldn't have such a bright future as a teacher. But I'm trying to get to the movie events soon so please bear with me. Until then, reviews are always appreciated.**


	94. Scratching the Surface

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! Today, we'll see what Aria's up to after her outburst. We'll also gets hints on what may happen to Lloyd & Iris' past as well as a glimpse into the daily life of a dark lord & some ninja chemistry. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 93: Scratching the Surface

Of all the days for Aria to get a stomach flu, it just had to be today.

'It won't make much of a difference anyway.' The olive-skinned girl sniffled while tossing and turning in her bed. She was perpetually stuck in a bitter mood since running away from the hideout. Even if she wasn't sick, she couldn't bring herself to face her teammates. She didn't even want to know what they might think of her now.

The ringtone playing EVO's latest hit set off and activated severe headaches for the ill girl. She felt like a bunch of jackhammers bore through her skull and into the soft tissue of her brain. She did what she could to keep the contents of her stomach in while climbing out of bed to answer the call.

"Aria, where the hell have you been!?" It was Nya.

"I can't come over. I'm sick." The orange kunoichi coughed.

"You know that excuse isn't gonna work."

"I'm being serious. I have a cold."

"Sorry to hear that. Anyway, we need to talk about what happened -"

Aria immediately ended the call and muted the phone. The last thing she wanted to even think about was all that ninja crap. She thought being a ninja will bring her many opportunities and let her explore more of Ninjago and even herself. So far, none of those have happened and everything the ninja have done were the exact same as before. Train, go on missions, and listening to the strange ramblings of a madman. She started to consider quitting but that would leave her in the same hole she's been stuck in before agreeing to get into this fine mess. Neither option were ideal there's no other way. She never felt so trapped by… whatever it is she's trying to fight if she's fighting at all.

'I can't do this anymore… can I…?'

The orange kunoichi couldn't bring herself to leave the Secret Ninja Force as readily as she always did with any school club that didn't meet her expectations. It's kind of a given since being a ninja was very different from an extracurricular activity. She didn't want to be part of the tedious cycle she can't help but throw herself in. Unfortunately, she can't seem to find a way out. All she can think about was how cruel fate can be and where the hell the bepto-pismol is since she really felt like she's going to puke in three… two...

* * *

Luna watched Lloyd and Jay add some finishing touches to her mech. She felt butterflies flitting about in her stomach but it wasn't the same as when she performs for the music club. She didn't know how to describe it, probably because this kind of moment was a once in a lifetime thing. It felt like forever before the green ninja finally noticed the kunoichi of sound staring at him.

"What?" Lloyd asked somewhat curtly.

"Sorry. I was just… curious." Luna fumbled coming up with a response.

"There's lots of things to be curious about," The green ninja muttered, "Then you're gonna be curious enough to fall down a rabbit hole and do nothing but wonder until you realize it was all a hallucination from getting high with a giant caterpillar."

The purple kunoichi was at a loss of words towards Lloyd's snarky attitude. Luckily, the lightning ninja was a bit more sociable.

"This mech will be done at least by tomorrow if things work out smoothly." Jay assured her.

"What can it do?" The auburn-haired girl still eyed her mech in awe.

"Seriously? You're asking that after seeing how the other mechs work?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

Again, Luna didn't know how to respond or if she should at all. She then remembered how foolish she had been and reminded herself she was lucky to even be part of the Secret Ninja Force. She did little else but gaze upon the monstrous mechanism she'll soon control.

Master Wu observed his students' antics as he always does. They've been so hyped about having a full team of mechs at their disposal and he had a bad feeling about where it could all go down. They may have their powerful mechanisms but they're still ninja. They're the ones who'll decide if they succeed in their missions and define who they were. If they don't keep up with their ninja training, they might become overly reliant on their mechs and even forget their true reasons to become ninja.

"Power is very tempting," The old teacher joined in, not caring if his pupils were unnerved by him, "It can either help you attain whatever it is you seek or it can claim you and put you under its control."

Everyone else had that 'here we go again' expression once Wu started talking.

"I'm sure a perfect example of how power can corrupt is closer to home than you expect." Master Wu glanced past the warehouse and into the horizon. The ninja knew what laid in wait atop the ocean.

Was he implying they'll end up the same as Lord Garmadon?

'Nope. Never gonna happen.' Lloyd shrugged off the possibility. As long as he hated that bastard with every fiber of his being, he'll never turn out like him. All of a sudden, his eyes stung and it hurt to keep them open. Whether he wanted to or not, the green ninja yelped at the sudden pain.

"Lloyd! What happened!?" Kai's protective big brother instincts kicked in and he was by the distressed ninja's side within seconds.

"It's nothing..." Lloyd muttered once the pain went away and he regained his composure. Nothing was more humiliating than appearing like a defenseless little pup. Luckily, his eyes were fine now. The ninja leader convinced everyone except his uncle. He saw what really happened at that moment and felt a sense of dread he hadn't felt in eons. Hoping for the best can only do so much than give him that false sense of reassurance that only prove otherwise.

The hour of destiny draws near...

* * *

Lunchtime gave the students of Ninjago High a break from the freakishly boring lectures but not from the ruthless judgement from peers. It's no wonder Lloyd eats alone but it's not all about him. Aria was far from unpopular yet she felt so out of place in the cafeteria. She saw her comrades eating together and briefly considered joining them. It'll be just like any other lunchtime in school and she wanted to do something different in her life for once, even if in such a minuscule way. Eyeing a lone table in the far corner of the cafeteria, she made her way there and began the arduous task of stomaching a tray full of cafeteria food of questionable quality and origins.

Iris can tell the orange kunoichi was still troubled by the repetitiveness of the ninja way. She even felt the same way about how every day went through the same routine. The pink kunoichi wasn't one to give up so easily. Karloff has called her stubborn more than a few times and not without good reason. Enough about that. Right now, this is supposed to be about Aria.

The olive-skinned girl flinched when she sensed someone sit next to her.

"Whatever it is you're gonna say, don't bother." The kunoichi of wind interrupted her fellow kunoichi before she had a chance to speak. However, Iris wasn't one to back down so easily.

"Don't let whatever Kai or Master Wu say get to you. You know how weird Wu gets and Kai is… well… Kai. Anyway, why should you care what others think? I don't let what others think bother me and look at me." The kunoichi of metal boasted.

"You sure about that? Last time I checked, butting in on other people's business doesn't mean you're fine." Aria retorted.

"That's not the point!" The pink kunoichi shut her up rather quickly, "Look! We're so close to beating Garmadon and now you're backing out!? You're nothing more than a coward!"

"So what if I'm a coward!? Nobody's perfect and if being a coward is who I am, then so be it!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to do something different? You can if you stay with the ninja. If you can try to see this through to the end, you could be someone different."

"Speak for yourself. You're also a ninja and you haven't changed a bit."

"And so is everyone else and this isn't even about them. We also have to continue our training so we'll be able to make a difference for Ninjago and maybe even ourselves."

"But that's all we've been doing since the very beginning! It's all the same and if we're stuck where we are forever, how will we know who we really are!?"

"And then what? You're gonna quit? That's the real problem. Once something happens, you give it up like an old toy. Is that how you're gonna be? You keep this up and I swear there's no hope for you."

The kunoichi of wind's expression was completely blank, which was a bit unsettling knowing how she normally reacts to such things.

"Are you proud of yourself? If you were planning to make me not want to stay, then congrats. You did it. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go and chase after what little self confidence I have left." Aria got up and walked away with a straight face.

'What's _her_ problem?' Iris shrugged off Aria's little outburst though it got her asking some questions, 'Not now. I can ask Master Wu or Uncle about it later...'

* * *

Garmadon may seem like a pushover but he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Besides a loyal army of shark-themed zealots, he had a team of engineers to give him plenty of mechs to counter those of the ninja as well as a group of hackers. How else was he able to hack into the city's broadcasting systems?

The shady technicians examined every bit of data they could get their hands on. They were even able to reveal e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and all sorts of creepy stuff. As an obligatory PSA, it's only okay for Garmadon to do this because he's evil. So kids, we know how 'cool' evil is but seriously, don't do it. Just don't.

Anywho, the dark lord skimmed through the phone numbers until the two he sought came up.

Garmadon memorized one of the numbers ever since he tried calling them. It turned out just as much as he expected it to and there were many days he considered calling again. He didn't even know why he never went through with it. It was as if there was something deep within his psyche that's holding him back.

'Impossible! The great lord of darkness never doubts himself!' The black-skinned warmonger slammed his bottom right fist against the railing, startling the staff members closest to him.

"Is there a problem, my lord?" One of the scientists quivered.

"Nothing… yet." The four-armed man growled, not liking having his reminiscence interrupted.

"I-is there anything we can do to help?" Another nervously asked.

"You! Tell me if there have been any… hindrances." The dark lord snarled at the last word.

"On it!" The lackeys scrambled to please their master.

Now that those goons were out of his way, Garmadon can finally do some bad guy brooding time. He turned his attention to the other phone number he was so fixated on. If there's anyone in Ninjago who would give him another chance, it was that person or that's what he wanted to think. That person was so adamant in cutting him off it wasn't likely they'll be able to reconcile. Conquering Ninjago might not make much of difference, more or less giving him what he truly wanted.

There's little he has to lose if he continues his conquest and taking over Ninjago may not get what he had back but alas, the evil essence flowing in his veins urged him to satiate his hunger for power and it will not be denied.

* * *

Iris stood on the small balcony of her apartment watching the hustle and bustle of Ninjago City. Soon, she'll be back out there, kicking Shark Army ass and be a general thorn in Garmadon's side. It became something of a routine for her. She didn't want to admit it but maybe Aria had a point. Everything was becoming the same and it kinda put a damper on their original motives to find out who they are. How will the ninja be able to 'find themselves' if their lives go on as they did before becoming ninja?

She was content with her life just wearing Sweet Lolita dresses and being a girly girl and after training as a kunoichi for a long time, she couldn't think of anything else that makes her, well, her.

Was it wrong to wonder what else she could be?

"I'm home!" Karloff greeted his niece, who seemed oblivious to his return.

Karloff sensed Iris wasn't happy. He knew because he was there for her more than a certain someone ever will. Eventually, his niece came back to the living room to greet him with a curt 'hey'.

"Iris, you can tell me everything." He immediately offered a lending ear to her woes.

Iris was tempted to reveal her secret but all she can do was come up with a way to make it sound like some sort of wacky theory.

"How would you react if I told you I was part of some super secret organization that beat up a bunch of bad people?" Iris asked, pausing for lengthy moments in between words. She held her breath and felt her heart beat while waiting for her uncle to answer.

"Where in Ninjago did you get an idea like that?" Karloff stared at her like she had lost her mind.

"Um… you know… There's the Secret Ninja Force and… everyone's talking about them..." The kunoichi of metal couldn't feel any more awkward talking about her secret occupation.

"I would be upset that you didn't tell me the truth and worried that you're putting yourself in danger. That's not what I want for you." The burly man finally gave his answer.

"What if it's part of who I am?"

Karloff sighed loudly, finding himself unable to answer in a way that wouldn't hurt Iris' feelings. Really, he wanted her to blossom into her own person. It's just that he didn't want her to get hurt along the way, not after what she's been through before moving in with him.

"I won't stop you from being who you are. I really want you to love being yourself."

"But didn't you say that it's wrong to have a huge ego?"

"There is a fine line between loving oneself and being a narcissist. I know they're different but I don't know how to explain it..." Karloff definitely knew what kind of person a narcissist is. He knew a certain someone just like that but didn't want to bring them up in front of his niece.

"I'll try to explain as best as I can," The buff man took a deep breath before answering, "Self love is… accepting who you are for good and bad. You'll never be absolutely perfect and that's completely fine. Everyone is different and that's also good and dandy. You also see the world and everyone who live in it as they really are. You accept that reality while also living life to the fullest."

Karloff paused, thinking of someone who was the epitome of narcissism. He wasn't keen on bringing up some bad memories for himself and Iris but she'll have to learn how to be a better person.

"As for a narcissist, nothing matters but you. A narcissist will never see themselves as human. They see themselves as better than humans. They're completely flawless and no one else matters but them. If they do anything good for someone, it's really for their own personal gains. They'll never understand what it means to accept who they are and themselves."

Iris took in everything her uncle said. She didn't want to be reminded of her past.

"When I was young, I didn't really understand these things. I thought I already knew who I was until I saw what the real world was like. A lot of stuff happened back then and all I'll say is that I screwed up so many times before realizing what it truly means to accept myself."

"I guess even you make mistakes."

"We all do. It's all a part of life. That is something _she_ may never understand."

Iris' heart stopped for a split second at the mere mention of _her_. But that's not who she is nor will be. All she cared about for the moment was the advice Karloff had given her and it reassured her, even if just a tiny bit.

"So you won't mind me doing whatever I want?" The violet-eyed girl asked with a tiny hint of hope in her voice.

"Of course not." Karloff answered bluntly.

"Oh."

"But whatever you want to do, I'll give you the support you need. Unless you plan on becoming some sort of criminal. Then I'm not gonna help you there."

"Don't worry. I won't."

"I can't say the same for you."

"That doesn't make any sense…" Iris didn't like the way her relative suddenly smirked.

"There's one thing for you to be worried about and it's the tickle monster! Come here, you!"

Iris squealed when Karloff dragged her over and tickled her sides, making her guffaw.

"No! Stop it!" Iris squealed in between bursts of laughter.

"Not until you say uncle!"

"You make it sound like you _want_ to lose!" Iris pushed Karloff's hands away and playfully swatted him but he was much stronger and wouldn't stop tickling her.

"You still didn't say uncle!"

"Okay! Uncle!"

Karloff backed off like he promised, unknowingly falling into Iris' trap. She grasped her opportunity the very second she can and dished it back, tickling his belly.

"Hey! That's not fair!" The burly man howled, finding himself at the mercy of his petite niece.

Meanwhile, the apartments surrounding their abode couldn't mind their own business in peace. True it's supposed to be a heartwarming moment but can they at least give other people some privacy?

* * *

Today, Zane finally had time away from school, work, and training to do as he please. The white ninja wanted to hang out with Cole, who was almost always away from his home and did agree to meet up in the city. He knew the earth ninja had a pretty big appetite, especially for cake, thus he toiled in the kitchen to bake a simple banana cake for the big guy to munch on during their day out.

Cole seemed particularly happy to see that Zane brought some cake with him.

"Nice day, huh?" He tried to initiate a conversation but being a somewhat quiet fellow, it wasn't easy.

"The forecast predicts bright weather for the rest of the day so what you said bears some truth." Zane analyzed the weather to confirm the earth ninja's statement who eyed the cake he made.

"You didn't really have to go all the way just for this."

"I like cooking for my father. It would be safe to assume my affinity has grown to include my friends."

"You're lucky to have a dad who actually cares for you."

"You have told me of how you and your parent do not get along. Why is that?"

"It's not just that we have very different interests. I also think my dad only wanted me so he can have a legacy rather than actually being a father. I wonder what my mom saw in him and if it's still there."

"Perhaps he still bears some love for you. You are still living together and acknowledge each other as father and son."

"That's what you think. I plan on moving out once I finish school."

"Where will you go?"

"I don't have any destination in particular. As long as I'm away from the city, that's fine though I'd like to have an active lifestyle once I leave."

Zane was not sure what to think of Cole's strained relationship with his father. It was definitely similar to Lloyd's problems with Garmadon but also different. He still knew very little of the world outside his home and father. He was also surprised by how many things are actually very different underneath the surface. Everyone thought Lloyd was just like his evil father but that couldn't be further from the truth and Heather seemed like a perpetually well-mannered girl but has shown that she was prone to fits of anger when under the smallest amount of pressure. The other ninja still have much more than meets the eye, or optic in the nindroid's case.

"I would have never thought things could be so… different." Zane spoke.

"Nothing is ever as it seems. I have my doubts but maybe my relationship with my dad might change one day. We'll see."

Cole leaned against Zane's shoulder, feeling a refreshing chill from the freon cells that fuel the android. It wasn't just the cool radiation that had him use the ice ninja's shoulder as an armrest a lot. Zane was a very sweet person and even if he doesn't understand everything he says, at least he listens. Not only that but they felt they didn't have to talk a lot to get each other and that's probably why they like each other's company.

They didn't say anything at all, preferring to simply be who they are together. Being of the quiet sort, this was the way they like it and won't have it any other way...

* * *

 **That's all for now.**

 **Will Aria be convinced to see this through to the end? Stick around to find out.**

 **Also, I really don't want to sound petty but I'm really starting to get really pissed off at the one guest who keeps nagging me to make Garmadon capture Lloyd. I'm only gonna say this once. It's not gonna happen. I may plan on doing something similar but I won't have Garmadon kidnap Lloyd. All the nagging is making me tempted to quit. I'm not writing this story just to cater to one fan & this story isn't just for you. Stop it.**


	95. It's Not So Bad

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Another day, another update. It's not much but here, Kai will try and get Aria back in the team & something big will happen for Jay & Nya. Read on to find out.**

* * *

Chapter 94: It's Not So Bad

Hardly anyone in school were surprised when Aria joined the computer club out of the blue and even less so when she dropped out after just four days. Life seemed to have gone back to the way it used to be and that wasn't such a great thing for the capricious girl. She considered staying with the ninja but it will only put her in another cycle she wanted to break out of.

Meanwhile, Kai and Cole observed the kunoichi of wind struggle to live out her high school days. The former rolled his fiery amber eyes at her pathetic attempts to be something she isn't while the latter was calm as ever and not as quick to judge.

"Kai, maybe you should talk to her." Cole suggested.

"Why me?" The fire ninja scoffed.

"For starters, you were the one who argued with her in the first place."

"But she started it!"

"But you made it worse by judging her for it. Both of you should have a talk."

"Why are you acting like it's my fault? She's the one who doesn't take anything seriously."

"Then maybe you need to loosen up a bit."

"Are you saying I'm uptight!?"

"No. I'm saying you're a laid-back with plenty of chill- Yes. Yes I am."

"Try looking at it in her perspective. She stuck in a routine she wants to get out of and face it. All we've been doing is training and fighting battles that aren't making much of a difference."

"What's up with you? Why are you taking her side all of a sudden?"

"I kinda understand what she's going through. It does get a bit boring doing the same thing over and over. I get tired of dealing with my dad all the time, always telling me what I'm doing wrong or that I'll never amount to anything if I'm not a clone of him. I go home to that every single day. You always say you'll do anything to protect Nya and your friends. What makes Aria so different?"

"One, she has the attention span of a goldfish. And two, she's not a ninja anymore. Why should I care what kind of weird game she pulls? She even said she doesn't know why she's still in the team!"

"Then she'll have to find the answer."

"I think Master Wu's creepiness is rubbing off on you..."

"We're all gonna be creepy old men one day. No use trying to delay the inevitable." Cole shrugged off Kai's remark and headed for his first class.

Kai turned away and Aria was nowhere to be seen, just as expected from the impetuous teen. Master Wu proved to be of little help so it looks like it's up to him to help get her priorities straight.

'What priorities? Nya and Heather know more about her than me so why can't they do it?' The spitfire of a ninja wondered about his role in all this.

More importantly, why is he compelled to do this?

It seems the only way he can find out is to do it himself...

* * *

With the auto club done, Jay planned on riding the bus home until a motorcycle pulled up in front of the flustered teen. His heart only beat faster when the rider removed their helmet to reveal…

"Hey." Nya casually greeted him.

"Uh… what's up…?" Jay felt his face heat up at the sight of the already cool Nya on her sweet ride.

"I was just testing out my new motorcycle. Wanna ride?"

"But I… don't have a helmet..."

"I got a spare," Nya tossed another helmet at the timid boy who briefly fumbled with it, "Now get on."

The lightning ninja gingerly seated himself right behind her and the only way to keep himself on was to hold on to the silver kunoichi herself. Such close contact was enough to make his mind explode but he didn't want his brains to splatter all over the road so he held on. Even with the intense speed of the vehicle, it couldn't catch up with his heartbeat. The rest of the world went by, not that Jay was aware of it. On the other hand, Nya relished the quick rush of riding past all the other vehicles and squeezing through the small pockets of free space she wouldn't have fit through if she drove a normal car. That was one of the advantages of driving a motorcycle and she was more than happy to take it.

Because fate is a cruel mistress, their little joy ride was interrupted in one of the worst ways possible.

While Nya was waiting for the light to turn green, she and Jay could hear some sort of commotion not too far from where they were. Letting curiosity sway her, the kunoichi of water swerved away from her intended path once the light changed and discovered what was really going on. A group of delinquents were causing trouble for the locals, damaging public property and trying to steal personal possessions.

"Maybe we should go..." The lightning ninja, never one for confrontation, lightly tugged Nya's leather coat so they can leave.

"You couldn't get any lower than that." Nya gritted her teeth at the sickening sight. Unfortunately for poor Jay, one of the things Nya had in common with Kai was a need to help anyone clearly in trouble, even if it goes against common sense.

Before Jay could say anything, Nya sprung into action and tackled a couple of the hooligans. Thanks to all her training as a ninja, she was able to take down some of them. The townsfolk were silent in awe of the seemingly ordinary girl making a stand against the criminals. Their true colors as cowards were exposed now that there was someone who wasn't afraid to dish it back though that didn't mean they were just gonna take it.

"Get up!" The person Nya assumed was the gang leader barked at his comrades. The kunoichi of water still had enough fight in her to continue the brawl.

Jay was both awestruck and terrified the whole time. He didn't doubt Nya was a strong young woman but if he did, then this moment would've completely confounded him. The gang had the advantage in numbers but Nya's fervor matched that of her fiery brother's. Even when she got overwhelmed by the gang's combined efforts, she wasn't going down without a fight. The leader resorted to dirty tricks by sneaking up on Nya from behind and grabbed her arm. Nya turned to punch him but he grabbed her other arm and twisted them behind her back.

"Well, well, well… Aren't you quite the catch?" The nasty creep's lips curled into a lascivious smirk at the teenage girl.

"Let go of me you asshole!" Nya squirmed and felt sick to her stomach when she felt the guy's hands trying to get under her shirt. The leader's hands were disturbingly close to Nya's bosom and the way he stared at her was beyond creepy. At that moment, Jay saw nothing but red.

"Leave her alone!" The normally shy teen lunged at him before Nya could fight back. She was almost shocked to see how ferocious Jay had become. It was a complete one-eighty from his usual meek self. Then again, he also trained alongside her for a long time so it would make sense that he was stronger than he looked.

Nya quickly overcame her stupor and pulled Jay away from the criminal before he could get in serious trouble. Just then, the cops have arrived to deal with the aftermath of the scuffle. They detained the delinquents immediately and inspected the damage Jay had done to the ringleader. His face was full of bruises, his eyes were swollen shut, and blood leaked from the skin opened by Jay's nails. Nya wasn't completely innocent either as she beaten up some of the delinquents prior to Jay going berserk.

"Care to explain?" The cop asked the teens in a stern voice.

"We happened to come by and we felt compelled to stop them. Actually, it was mostly me but when that guy grabbed me, Jay wailed on him." Nya told the authorities in a calm and collected voice.

"W-what she s-s-said is true." Jay affirmed her testimony and some witnesses also backed him up. He mentally cursed himself for stuttering. Even with people to back him up, he made himself look like an idiot in front of the officers and worse, they might not believe him.

The cops stared at the freckled boy and he swore they were peering into his very soul. The moments that followed felt like forever until they finally spoke.

"Given the circumstances, I'll just give you one warning. Don't ever harm anyone again. Because these ne'er-do-wells initiated the conflict, they're the ones in trouble. We understand you were on the side of justice but it's for the best to leave this sort of stuff to the authorities. If you happen to see anything like this happen again, you should alert the police. You're now free to go."

Without a moment of hesitation, Nya and Jay got on the motorcycle and got out as soon as they can.

* * *

Nya and Jay were silent during the rest of the trip to the train station. Jay was still shocked by what he had done more than the delinquents' attack in the first place. Even Nya never expected such fury from the meek boy. It was almost scary. And then a sense of guilt came rushing in for the strong-willed girl. If she hadn't caused that fight to break out, Jay wouldn't have unleashed his hidden wrath. It was only by sheer luck they didn't get in a lot of trouble.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into that mess." Nya apologized.

"It's okay. You wouldn't have known this would happen." Jay replied.

"But you could've gotten a criminal record or gone to jail just because I can't mind my own business. If there's anything I can't stand besides failure, it's someone else getting in trouble because of me."

"Aren't we already doing this kind of stuff as ninja. If we beat them up then, we would've been treated as heroes."

"True. People can be real hypocrites."

"Maybe that's why Master Wu doesn't want us to reveal ourselves..."

The young pair briefly mused over all the craziness that happened mere minutes ago. It still felt surreal to do something they usually did as ninja but as themselves. They wore no masks to hide their identity and people now know what they were truly capable of.

If the ninja revealed their true selves, how would the townsfolk react? Especially Lloyd? Will they still be celebrated as heroes or will they turn their backs on a bunch of immature teenagers?

"I almost forgot. I just wanna say thanks for helping me back there." Nya commended Jay for his deed.

"I thought you'd be offended. I mean, you can take care of yourself and would've been able to beat up those guys on your own." Jay blushed, thinking he only undermined the strong-willed girl at that time and she'd take it as an insult.

"But having someone there for me besides Kai is a pretty good feeling. You know, you're a very sweet guy and that's extremely rare these days. I don't know what else to say but I'm grateful that you're my friend. Well, I'll see you later."

Nya rode off before Jay could respond. He simply stared off until she was out of sight.

Jay can't believe it. He had done something special for Nya, a feat he thought to be impossible. He still considered himself lucky to get out of there alive and not have a blemish in his permanent record. But the only thing that mattered was that Nya was okay. He knew he wouldn't have been able to take the thugs down if it weren't for the training he had done as a ninja. In a strange way, he owed Master Wu for being able to defend Nya and anyone he cares about. There was so much more he can do now and it's all because he decided to join a group of vigilantes who are brave or foolish enough to try and stop Garmadon. And above all else, even if he was friendzoned, Nya seemed genuinely happy to any sort of relationship with him.

Maybe being a ninja won't be so bad after all...

* * *

Aria was busy minding her own business in the Q-Tea House. She watched the little droplets of water run down the clear cup of cheese bubble tea. The bored girl spent more time staring at her cup than drinking its contents and was oblivious to the world around her. She didn't even notice a certain teen with ridiculous hair standing next to her.

"Hey..." Kai awkwardly greeted her.

The olive-skinned girl couldn't even bring herself to look at the fire ninja.

"You know… All the mechs were just finished. It would be interesting to see them all fight at once." Kai attempted to make some small talk with the blonde while seating himself across the small table.

"Whether I stay or quit, I won't find what I'm looking for nor will I find out what it is… I have absolutely no idea on what to do… What's wrong with me…?"

"Master Wu probably won't be of any help and I'm no expert with therapy."

"Are you saying I'm insane?"

"No! I'm trying to reach out to you and this is how you take it!?"

The orange kunoichi was taken aback by Kai's outburst. After their argument, any beliefs that he had at least one iota of faith in her was gone.

"I thought you would've been happy with me gone."

"That's far from the truth."

"...Care to explain…?"

"Being with you is like looking after a kid who doesn't listen most of the time. But everybody has their ups and down. I may be the good looks of the team but I know I'm not the biggest tool in the shed -"

"Don't you mean sharpest?"

"Yeah, yeah. Other than that, our quirks are kinda what makes us a team, kinda like one big family. We have Master Wu as the annoying parental figure, Lloyd's like a little brother you want to protect, and Nya's the sister that bugs you over everything. We're not only fighting Garmadon, we're also learning more about each other and do all kinds of things together, even outside of all this ninja stuff. We both get to explore more of the city whenever we hang out together."

"So now it's all about you?"

"Stop interrupting!" Kai briefly snapped before continuing, "Like I was saying, there's still a lot more to Ninjago we have yet to discover. The same goes for pretty much everyone. We don't know the rest of the people here and who knows? Maybe the have some things in common with us. We share several interests but what else do we know about each other? What else do we know about the others? You can't go around making assumptions about everything."

"Why would you of all people want me back in the team? You kept putting me down and do you have any idea how frustrating that is? I already have a hard time figuring out what I'm meant to do and with you always talking me down, it only makes it harder."

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry for saying those things to you."

"It won't mean anything if you're just saying it. Besides, what's in it for me?"

"What's gonna convince you to not quit?"

"How should I know? I can't predict what I'm going to do in ten years! I don't have future vision!"

"Isn't that the point of finding these things out for yourself? What are you gonna do if you quit being a ninja now? Are you gonna go back to your old ways?"

"I don't want to but what choice do I have?"

"Aria, stop wasting your potential. I don't want to see you go down that path."

"Why are you so concerned all of a sudden? Aren't you happy that someone like me who thinks this is all just a game would be gone?"

Kai sighed, trying to come up with a way to explain how he really felt. He was never good at expressing these sort of feelings but for today, he'll give it a shot.

"First up, you better not laugh," Kai grumbled before making his uneasy confession, "I... kinda miss the times we got to hang out and explore the city. There's still a whole lot more to Ninjago we have yet to discover and maybe we're the same. If you really want to find your life's calling, then you could go out and find it yourself. I say if there's any opportunity in front of you, then grab it before it can get away. You can't give up just because of one small bump on the road. What are you gonna do if you get one bad grade? Quit school? Do you have any sense of commitment?"

Aria was surprised by everything Kai said to her. At first she thought he just wanted her back so he can do what he wants but something about the way he reached out to her seemed sincere. She also kinda missed training with the ninja and going out on missions regardless if they win or lose. It was certainly different from the life she had before all this. There were still many more possibilities she can discover. That is if she stays with the team...

"I'll give this ninja thing another shot..." Aria concluded.

"Is that really what you want?"

"I don't know. But like you said, I'll have to stick around to find out. So… yeah."

Kai felt an odd sense of relief that Aria was going to stay with the ninja. It could be nothing more than his drive to fulfill anything he sets out to do, no matter how big or small. That's probably it...

* * *

The tranquil blue skies above Ninjago City was marred by the aircrafts of the Shark Army doing as their evil boss bids them. Fortunately for the civilians, their heroes were on the way.

The Mech Dragon graced the skies, guided by the green ninja and accompanied by the remaining two airborne mechs. One was the Lightning Jet with its familiar blue plating and lightning rods on its wings and the other was one everybody but the ninja had never seen before. The orange details of the silver jet made it stand out, just as its pilot liked it.

"How are you handling your mech?" Jay asked Aria who piloted the new Tornado Jet.

"This definitely isn't something I've done before but I'll try my best." The kunoichi of wind was just as amazed as she was the day her mech was complete. Now that she was piloting it, that opened up a lot of opportunities and it erased any regrets on joining the ninja for the moment.

Lloyd led the assault and the Mech Dragon swiftly dealt with the brute force of the attack. Some extra lackeys jumped from the aircrafts and onto the mechanical beast's back. Too bad for them the green ninja had his sword in case something happens. Setting the dragon on auto-pilot, Lloyd brandished his weapon and it didn't take long for him to fend off the enemies.

The Lightning Jet summoned bolts of electricity that roared just like thunder whenever they struck its unlucky targets. Its pilot scanned the skies for more enemies and found several chasing the new mech.

"Aria! They're going after you!" Jay warned the orange kunoichi. He would've gone after them but the Shark Army had reinforcements to keep up the fight, keeping him too busy to help his teammate.

"Um… Uh..." The fickle girl fumbled with the controls, trying to find the best way to get rid of the guys chasing her. The accumulating sweat made it harder for her to maneuver the intricate controls, "Come on! Come on! Work, dammit!"

The enemies were closing in. It's now or never.

"Wait for it and..." Aria observed the units of the power gauge rising until she was sure it was enough and activated the attack.

An extremely powerful gale burst forth from the turbines, sending the enemies careening off course. Other than her elemental affiliation, Aria had more than fierce winds at her arsenal. To ensure they'll get out of her hair, she fired small homing missiles and lasers at the baddies once they recovered from the initial whirlwind. In the meantime, Lloyd and Jay made short work of the enemies that made the terrible decision to go after them. Just as it has been for the last several missions...

"And we win… again." Lloyd sighed.

"So? What's wrong with that?" Aria asked, "Aren't we supposed to win?"

"It's kinda like what you've been complaining about," The green ninja answered, "We've been winning all our missions and they're all becoming a bit repetitive."

"Oh yeah..."

"Speaking of which," Jay chimed in, "You'd think Garmadon would send in forces more powerful than the next yet he isn't. Doesn't it also seem odd to you?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's one of those all bark and no bite sort of guys." The orange kunoichi brushed off the blue ninja's concerns.

"What if that's exactly what he wants us to think?"

The trio pondered over the dark lord's true tactics. They have no idea what kind of person Garmadon was besides wanting to conquer Ninjago. The possibility that they could be underestimating him and even falling into a trap was becoming more nerve-wracking for them.

"It's not impossible," Lloyd mused, "But there's nothing we can do about that right now."

"Uh… maybe we should head back..." Jay suggested.

"Yeah..." The trio headed back, knowing they'll get nothing out of mulling over something that already happened. Hopefully when the time Garmadon strikes comes, they'll be ready...

* * *

The flying mechs returned to the ninja stronghold where the rest of the team awaited them.

"Not bad." Cole commended the ninja as soon as they hopped out of the cockpits.

"You have done well though there is still room for improvement." Master Wu offered his two cents on his apprentices' deeds.

"Don't be so judgemental! It's only my first day!" Aria retorted and climbed onto the two-story couch Jay and Zane just built to make their secret lair more comfortable.

Yup. Aria was back to her usual impulsive self. Kai rolled his amber eyes but was a bit more willing to endure her antics. As long as she doesn't give up, the whole team may have a chance to finally get rid of Garmadon. Speaking of that big poser, he also wondered what that guy is really up to. He knew the dark lord can be stubborn as hell but what does he think he'll achieve by taking over Ninjago? Neither Lloyd nor his mother want anything to do with him and no one else likes him so what does he have to lose if he does succeed? Something just doesn't add up with that guy.

Whatever it is, he'll be ready for him when the time comes…

* * *

 **Yeah. Nothing much happens here. But I'm hoping to get to some of the movie events soon. Please review.**


	96. Crunchy Skateboard Whatever

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Time for another update! This time, we'll focus more on humor as we see more of the ninja's shenanigans. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 95: Crunchy Skateboard Whatever

If looks could kill, Master Wu would've been charged with the murder of Hinata Kai and Luna Hoffman. Said duo looked as guilty as they were banged up from whatever it was that angered their mentor. The other ninja stared at them with pity and a sinking feeling that this will be the last they'll see of them.

"Don't worry, Kai," Nya started, "I'll tell Mom and Dad how much you loved them."

Kai would've talked back if it weren't for the mother of all death glares Wu was sending him.

"Would you mind telling me what happened?" The old teacher's voice was calm yet foreboding.

"I… Uh... I panicked…?" Luna nervously chortled.

The kunoichi of sound couldn't detect any emotions in the old man's sour expression. She wasn't sure if that's a good thing or not. At least he didn't kill her right then and there. As for Kai...

"And you," Wu turned to the red ninja, looking slightly angrier, "What did _you_ do?"

"You know, it's actually a pretty interesting story," Kai tried to embellish what really happened, "It all started when..."

And cue the wavy shift to flashback mode.

* * *

 _The Fire Mech sauntered across the greenery by the edge of Ninjago City followed by the last mech at the ninja's disposal. The newly christened 'Echo Siren' followed the humanoid machine. While she had the humanoid mech within sight, Luna would still be able to track him down with the sonars catching the rumble of its footsteps._

" _Okay. Now show me what that thing can do." Kai goaded Luna to test out her mech's abilities._

 _The purple kunoichi was told of the Echo Siren's capabilities beforehand but this was the first time it'll really show what it can do. The adrenaline pumping in her veins made her excited and anxious at the same time, much like when she's about to perform on stage but this was bigger than a performance. Lloyd told her that it could record anything and she really wanted to try it out._

" _Okay, Kai. Say something." Luna encouraged the fire ninja to help show how the Echo Siren works._

" _What do you want me to say?"_

" _Pretty much anything."_

 _And Luna realized it wasn't really a good idea to say that. Once she finished her answer, the fiery ninja started bragging nonstop about himself from his looks to his so-called achievements._

 _While Kai was stuck in his own ego trip, Luna could hear faint beeps that shouldn't be there._

 _Something's up._

" _Hold on! I'm picking up something." Luna silenced Kai and focused on the sounds caught by the sonar. The Echo Siren detected the faint sound of explosions and shouts coming from the direction of the city and that can only mean one thing..._

" _Dammit, not again..." Luna was exasperated by Garmadon's frequent raids._

" _You know what we gotta do!" Kai already guided the Fire Mech towards Ninjago City._

" _But Master Wu said -"_

 _Kai interrupted the kunoichi of sound's objection with high-pitched gibberish, "Forget what Master Wu said! We're ninja so we're going in!"_

" _Kai! Wait up!" Luna guided her mech to follow the hot-blooded ninja. She really didn't want to stoop to Kai's level but she had no other option. Now she was starting to know the pain and misery Nya goes through. Every. Single. Day._

 _Before they knew it, the duo were back on the beach in the middle of yet another Shark Army raid. The Fire Mech charged and sucker punched the closest mech in its range before doing the same to the rest of the enemies. Luna wasn't far behind and was grateful Lloyd installed some missiles and lasers into her mech so she can defend herself in battle. But the thing is, she still hasn't quite mastered the Echo Siren. Kai soon found himself outnumbered and unless he gets some backup fast, he'll be the one with his ass on the line._

" _You gotta use your mech now!" Kai pressured Luna to take the offensive._

" _But I don't know all the controls yet!" The kunoichi of sound argued, "Besides, this is my first day!"_

" _Just do it!"_

 _The timid girl didn't want to face it but she knew there's no other way out._

' _Here goes nothing…!' Luna activated the switch and…_

 _The Echo Siren belted out a strange song with repetitive lyrics entirely in cat noises. Everyone from Kai to the Shark Army and even the civilians stared at the tank in an expression that can only be described as 'what the f-_

" _Oh…! Uh… Where did that come from...? Hehe..." Luna didn't need to take her mask off to know her face was now a perfect impression of a ripe tomato._

" _This is no time to beg for Nya's help!" Kai yelled from the mechs' communication link, "Attack! Now!"_

 _Luna still wasn't used to piloting her mech and the tank started spinning out of control._

" _I-I don't know!" Luna started mashing all the buttons, levers, and switches, causing the Echo Siren to go nuts and cause more destruction than it would've if its pilot intended to. The tank careened into the Fire Mech, sending both mechanisms tumbling across the beach. To make things worse, the humanoid mech's flamethrowers were still on, sending plumes of flame all over the place. Some of the opposing mechs were taken down but Kai was too busy trying to regain control to bask in the tiny satisfaction._

" _Not so skilled pilots now, are ya?" The Shark Army taunted the duo before leaving. They weren't any closer to achieving their master's ambitions but at least the meddling ninja were stuck in a humiliating situation and they were fine with leaving them to face the ridicule of the public._

 _Kai and Luna laid there speechless with one thing on their minds._

 _They're gonna die now. They're gonna **freakin'** die now._

* * *

"And that's how my perfectly styled hair got ruined." The disheveled Kai finished the lengthy flashback.

With Kai and Luna's story _finally_ over, the ninja now anxiously waited for the moment Master Wu kills them. Some were betting he'll go with the quick and painless route while others bet that he'll subject them to months of brutal and gruesome torture before having the life slowly choked out of them.

Master Wu believed his students but that didn't mean he wasn't upset with them. Then again, failure is part of the learning process.

"It's already happened so it can't be helped," Wu sighed, "I can only hope you learned something from all this."

"Yeah," Luna quipped, "Such as not letting Kai drag me into something so stupid again."

"Hey! You were the one that was spinning out of control!" Kai retorted.

"And arguing will not undo these events," Wu interrupted, slightly louder this time, "Both of you were at fault. Kai, you should know better than to rush into serious situations and Luna, you mustn't blindly follow others when you're aware you have yet to learn all you need to know."

"Now that I think about, you would've known about the threat so why didn't you send the other ninja to deal with them?" The kunoichi of sound responded.

The rest of the team were astonished by Luna's sudden audacity to question Wu's teaching methods. _Now_ they knew at least the purple kunoichi will die.

"We will all have our own battles to fight and I have mine. If you want so badly to have all the lessons in life spoon-fed to you, would you like the same for those trials?"

"N-never mind..." And just like that, the kunoichi of sound was back to her mousy self. And with that, Master Wu went back to his usual corner to meditate.

"So we will not be observing human dismemberment or disembowelment?" Zane asked out loud out of the blue.

"What does he mean by that?" Kai eyed the others suspiciously, who tried to silence the nindroid.

"Oh, we were calculating the possibilities of the various methods of execution Master Wu planned to inflict upon you." The ice ninja answered rather merrily.

"Really…?" The fire ninja seemed calm but the inferno in his burning amber eyes claim otherwise.

Nya covered her face in exasperation throughout the whole thing. She secretly worried his brashness may rub off on the others. He may be a big moron but at least he's her moron of a brother. Now may be the right time to teach Luna how to survive with someone like him around.

* * *

By the time the train reached the station where Jay was waiting so he can get to school on time, it was jam-packed. Being of the timid sort, this only made it a bigger struggle for the lightning ninja to find a place to sit. Out of the corner of his sapphire eyes, he saw an empty seat and made a beeline for it at the speed of sound. It seems like the cosmos see him as little more than a plaything because that seat was right next to Cole. The earth ninja seemed lost in his own music-filled world and seemed oblivious to Jay seating himself next to him. At least he didn't mind the company. The train ride was hell for the timid boy.

Jay felt so inferior compared to Cole. They were like yin and yang. The black ninja was everything the blue ninja will never be. He was so strong, composed, reliable, and handsome. No girl, or guy for that matter, wouldn't be entranced by those earthy green eyes hidden under lush ebony bangs. And who wouldn't want to be wrapped in those big strong arms -

'What am I thinking!?' The blue ninja was surprised by his own behavior. He was thinking about Cole in a way a shallow hormonal schoolgirl would, not that he blamed them.

'Dammit Jay! You're doing it again!' His brain berated him.

The lightning ninja had a bad habit of fretting over what others think and being with his polar opposite made that quirk go into overdrive. Cole's probably thinking he's being a nerdy pipsqueak who'll never amount to anything and will never catch up with the other ninja. Cole wanted to be as far away from him as possible but there was no more room in the train. Jay didn't want to believe it but the shy boy had trouble getting any negative thoughts out of his head once they come in like flies.

If only he knew the truth. What Cole was _really_ thinking...

'I wonder I should have for dinner tonight.' The perpetually lax ninja mused.

* * *

Because of her job, it wasn't often that Heather got to spend time with the other ninja besides school and training so it was nice to arrange an outing with Iris. She didn't get to hang out with the kunoichi metal often so it was a welcome change. After a quick stop at 'Darling, the Stars Shine Bright', the teal kunoichi noticed the girly girl's abruptly troubled expression.

"What?" Heather inquired, "Am I boring you?"

"Not at all," Iris shook her head, her hair put up in twin ponytails today, swayed to and fro, "But..."

"But what?" The pink kunoichi didn't say anything, instead opting to point up.

Heather pointed her gaze skyward and saw a huge billboard with the green ninja's face plastered on it. Seeing Lloyd's face on everything imaginable wasn't new but it can be very frustrating since the Secret Ninja Force is actually a group effort but everyone but Lloyd ends up getting sidelined.

"Yeah, acting like we don't matter is annoying. Then again, Lloyd never asked to hog all the spotlight, more or less wanted to be caught up in all this ninja nonsense." Heather said.

"It's still so frustrating! What is it that makes everyone so obsessed with him!?" Iris pouted.

"We don't have to talk about that. It doesn't need to be all about Lloyd."

"Yeah..."

The awkward silence that followed had Iris digging for something else to talk about.

"What is it about flowers that makes you like them so much?" The pink kunoichi brought up the very first thing that came to mind with the flower-loving girl around.

"I don't really know how to explain it..." Heather sighed, knowing this will be the kind of answer that turns into some deep lecture. Here goes nothing...

"I guess it's just part of who I am," The kunoichi of nature shrugged, "It still isn't the only thing about me that makes me, well, me. At least that's what I think. Anyway, ever since I was a baby, I was always be drawn towards flowers and I preferred clothes with floral patterns as I've been told. I was happiest when surrounded by flowers rather than toys. That's how I got the garden at the back of my house. I always go there whenever I need to cheer up and even let out some steam."

Another minute of silence passed between the two girls until...

"Now why do you like Sweet Lolita fashion so much?" Now it was Heather's turn to ask Iris about why she's the way she is.

"I've always been a girly girl at heart, even before I came to Ninjago City. I just want to be who I am so it really irks me whenever media keeps telling us how girls should be." Iris answered the best way she could without bringing up her life in Almaz.

"That is pretty annoying," Heather agreed, "Back then, girls must stay in the kitchen and are only good for housework. Nowadays, it's all about being 'strong' and by that, I mean doing nothing but beat up everyone and everything with a permanent resting bitch face."

"Yeah. And how is insulting other girls for doing so much as wear a skirt or like pink 'empowering'? It just makes them look like nothing but a massive bitch. Sometimes, I think I wear these kind of clothes to tell them where to stick it. Don't get me wrong. I really like Sweet Lolita fashion, even before I heard of all this 'strong female character' bullcrap. I just want to be who I am. I don't care if other girls think I'm being backwards or 'sending bad messages'. This is me so take it or leave it."

"It's good to see someone who doesn't let society decide what to like or even wear. I hardly find other girls with the same interest as me."

"What else do you like besides flowers?"

"I do like to try cooking every now and then, though I can't say I'm really good at it. I'm not exactly the most patient person in the world. Besides that, I sometimes want to just kick back and watch the rest of the world go by, usually just looking at some pretty landscapes or the skyline from a distance. With all the craziness that's been going on lately, I don't get to do it a lot."

"I know how you feel. People think my mind is on nothing but girly clothes but I like other stuff. I also like to read manga and watch videos with animals. Here, let me show you."

Iris whipped out her heavily decorated phone to show a lengthy playlist of short movies, most of them starring puppies, kittens, and various critters of the young and cute sort.

"You should check out the NBS Critter Farm channel over on PewTube. They have a lot of cute videos." The pink kunoichi showed more animal clips.

Heather considered taking out her phone to show some photos she took over the years until it buzzed with a new message. It was none other than Aria and the kunoichi of nature immediately knew what she wanted.

'Wanna check out the shopping center in the southern district? I heard the shops there are showing a bunch of new stuff.' The shopping addict's message was as predictable as she didn't want it to.

'I can't. I'm already hanging out with Iris today.' The kunoichi of nature texted back.

'Great! Now we can be a trio!' The impulsive girl didn't seem to get the message.

Iris peeked at the 'conversation' the whole time.

"Let's go. It's not like we have anything better to do." The kunoichi of metal seemed willing to comply with Aria's request.

"You do know how Aria gets during her shopping sprees, right?" Heather warned her.

"I went shopping with her before. It's not something we haven't lived through."

* * *

Fifty minutes later…

And for some reason, that line only sounded good when spoken with a think French accent.

Iris collapsed on the conveniently placed bench at the corner of the street. Heather, having been part of Aria's consumerism escapades far too often, caught up with the orange kunoichi, who still wanted to check out more shops.

"Aria, please. I just want stay still for at least one minute." The pink kunoichi whined.

"Come on! There's other cool places to check out!" The shopaholic persisted, "Look! There's a group over there! Let's check it out!"

"How do you even know if it's even a good place?" Heather retorted. None of the girls could see what was on the other side.

"With such a big crowd, it's gotta be good!"

Far from where the girls were was the very reason why there was a crowd in the first place was just an information booth. The poor old man running it was bombarded with complaints over everything.

"What do you mean the burger joint is closed for 'remodeling'!? My kids are hungry dammit!" One of the women at the front ranted.

Now the info guy was regretting not going to game design in college.

* * *

Garmadon was doing his usual 'bad guy brooding time' in his personal lair. He found some solace in his minions humiliating the fire ninja and kunoichi of sound the other day. Still, that wasn't good enough. For many years, the four-armed man was tempted to just go in and reclaim what was rightfully his. He did have some access but he never got around to using it. There's still that small part of him confined in the deepest confines of his mind holding himself back. For so many years, it kept him from getting closer to his goals and by now, he had grown tired of it. He's the lord of darkness, dammit. Nothing is supposed to hold him back. He's done.

He wasn't going to dawdle around anymore. He won't be controlled by anyone, not even himself. This will be a major turning point in his plans and he's gonna face it head on.

* * *

The Weekend Whip blasted from Lloyd's phone, doing wonders for the groggy ninja's mood.

'Who the hell is calling me so early? It's Saturday...' The green-eyed teen complained to himself before checking on his device. The home screen notified him to a video message from a number that seemed familiar to him. He wasn't sure why and maybe that's why he decided to check it out...

And then regretted it.

'You gotta be kidding me.' Words can't describe how much Lloyd wished this was all a terrible dream.

He should've known this day will come but he was foolish enough to believe in doubt. Garmadon was known to use his team of hackers to hijack any bit of technology he wants and now he got hold of the outcast's phone and wasn't afraid to make him know it.

"You won't believe how long I've waited for this day," The dark lord went off with a menacing start, "At last, I found you. Now nothing will stop me from obtaining my goals- Hey! Wait! What are you -!?"

Lloyd didn't waste a split-second to cutting off the message.

Great. Now the worst guy ever is gonna bother him twenty-four seven. A full hour hasn't even passed and he already wanted to crawl in a hole and die. If his mother finds out -

"Listen here, Garmadon!" Koko's voice interrupted Lloyd's train of thought. If the way she uttered the dark lord's name indicated anything, she was also in a sour mood already. Lloyd slipped out of bed and peeked out of the corner of the hall to see his mother glaring at her phone.

"If you do _anything_ to hurt Lloyd, I'm going to come over there myself and if it weren't for your 'job', I would be in jail but guess what? I'm not scared of going to jail. Now leave before I have a good reason to get locked behind bars." Koko also cut off the video on her phone.

Lloyd was shocked by how pissed his mother was. Now he knew not to anger her from now on.

"Uh… what was that about?" The green-eyed teen finally mustered the courage to talk to her.

"It's nothing, sweetie." Koko said in a loving manner, a complete one-eighty from her dark demeanor mere moments ago.

"But you said Garmadon -"

"Never mind him. What kind of topping would you like on your pancakes today?" His mother already got started on making breakfast.

"Just syrup will be fine." Lloyd turned on the TV, hoping some Saturday morning cartoons will take his mind away from the dark lord and his timing couldn't be more perfect.

Now it's the Crunchy Skateboard Sentai Hour featuring Emperor Chaos, the four-armed red-eyed main villain explicitly based on Lord Garmadon. With that, Lloyd's day was off to a fantastic start.

* * *

 **And that's it for now. I guess with Season 11 out now, I guess this is pretty good timing. We're getting closer to the movie events so more stuff will be happening in the future. Until then, please review.**


	97. Messy Relationships

**Discovering Destiny**

 **I can't believe it! We're so close to 100 chapters! Here, not a lot will happen but we'll see hints of what kind of relationships to ninja will have with each other in this lighthearted chapter with a hint of drama. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 96: Messy Relationships

For Lloyd, one of the greatest feelings in the world was to get out of school on a Friday afternoon after hours of torture from bullies and boring lessons. The moment he escaped from that hellhole, he took out his phone to play some Cookie Pop only to find tons of messages, all from one number which has been burned into the green ninja's mind forever no matter how badly he didn't want it to. Ever since that video message from Garmadon, he's been bombarded with calls, texts, and videos from the dark lord and it was beyond annoying.

What made it even worse was that Garmadon had all the time in the world to at least try and contact him but no. He had to wait until now to do anything about it. He thinks trying to communicate with his child after so many years will fix everything in an instant but for the green ninja, it was rubbing salt on the wound and then dunking it in sulfuric acid. And that's not even the worst of it.

Lloyd felt a sick sense of relief whenever Garmadon tried to contact him. As long as he can remember, the green ninja wondered what it's like to have a father figure in his life. His uncle always gave advice in his own cryptic way but just wasn't the same. He also met the fathers of his friends who were kind to him and again, they were his friends' parents, not his.

At times, Lloyd also wondered how things would've turned out if Garmadon switched alignments with Wu and end up being the good guy. That would open another can of worms but Lloyd would actually have a dad. If so, what kind of dad would Garmadon be if he wasn't evil? He liked to imagine he would be a wise and dependable figure but also have a sense of humor, kind of like Wu but much less cryptic. It wasn't too surprising Lloyd imagined having a father similar to Wu, the only other parental figure in his life besides his mother of course.

Meanwhile, Jay stared at the screen while Lloyd scrolled through all the spam from the dark lord.

"That must suck." Jay blurted out.

"Story of my life." Lloyd deadpanned.

"If you hate him so much, why don't you just block his number?"

"I can't!" The green ninja suddenly shouted. The blue ninja was taken aback by Lloyd's small outburst thought not as much as Lloyd himself.

"It's not that I can't. I've thought about it but there's some part of me that doesn't want to." The green ninja was confused by that strange sense of relief. There's no way he'll tell anyone about it. Everyone, even the ninja, will just

"So… Let me try and get this straight…" Jay took a deep breath, "You keep saying you want Garmadon out of your life… and then you don't want him to stop bothering you on the phone? I-I don't think that makes any sense."

"Nothing does!" Lloyd snapped.

Jay chose not to speak anymore, having seen what his banter had done for the green ninja's mood.

"Something's wrong with me..." The ninja leader muttered, covering his aching eyes. It's bad enough all the stress of being a son of Garmadon left him with more than a few pitch black 'moles' on his skin. If he ends up looking just like the dark lord… he doesn't even want to think about it.

And with _that_ not being too far away, his looks should be the least of his worries.

* * *

As usual, the ninja gathered in the warehouse for another day of training. After a few bouts of dueling, the ninja were on break and for the first time, the green ninja found himself unsure what to do. All the mechs were finished, The Hinata siblings, Jay, and Aria were hogging the video games, and Luna kept Varjo occupied with pets and treats, Heather and Iris were completely glued to their phones, and Cole was mixing some tunes in his mech. The green ninja listened for a while and no matter how catchy the music is, it gets boring having to listen without doing anything else and that left him with just Zane to hang out with. Being a nindroid, the white ninja was ostracized almost as much as the son of the dark lord so he understood him more than the rest of the team. The nindroid seemed preoccupied staring at nothing in particular with his back facing Lloyd, who came up with a bright idea to try and catch the ice ninja by surprise.

'Almost...' Lloyd was inches away from Zane when the humanoid completely turned his head around with his trademark unnatural grin. The noise that came out of Lloyd's mouth was equally inhuman.

"I am sorry. Did I startle you?" The ice ninja apologized while turning the rest of his body around.

"N-not at all…!" Lloyd stuttered.

Zane just stood there, as if waiting for his human friend to say something. After the young ninja leader regained his composure, he finally started a conversation

"You know… I wonder what it would be like if there were more androids in Ninjago," Lloyd said, "I just got that 'Become Human' game and it's really good. It also got me thinking where technology will go next. The city knows of the mechs and they might give them ideas to make their own. The Shark Army already have theirs. Then before we know it, there could be androids walking among us."

The green ninja glanced at the nindroid for an answer.

"It would be comforting to be around people just like me but acceptance by them no matter my origin is what is most important," Zane replied, "But to live among other androids..."

"And if there were female androids, you could even get a girlfriend." Much to Lloyd's surprise, the ice ninja didn't look too happy with that idea.

"I do not like the idea of pursuing a relationship with someone just because they are also an android. I will not have to worry about outliving a significant other but I am not comfortable with the concept of pursuing a relationship with someone simply because of our physical composition. It feels like… I think it is similar to how everyone else in school judges you for your parentage." Zane spoke.

"Oh yeah… I kinda see where you're getting at. It would be weird if some female robot pops up out of nowhere and everyone says 'Oh! You're robots and all because of that you belong together!' Now that I think about it, that would make it shallow."

"Shallow?" The naive nindroid tilted his head, "How can a relationship have depth?"

Lloyd found himself tongue-tied yet the way the white ninja described it hit the nail in the head.

"A relationship will be shallow if, as you said, a couple date each other because of something such as looks or having just one thing in common. I'm no expert with this stuff. I'm not even interested in that kind of crap."

"What kind of stuff is crap?" A familiar voice interrupted Lloyd and Zane's little chat.

Lloyd never noticed when Kai and Nya joined him but now, here they are.

"Why are you here?" The green ninja asked.

"We kept beating Jay and Aria and it was getting a bit boring." Nya said flatly.

The siblings glanced at the vacant mechs, savoring the times they kicked a lot of Shark Army ass with those babies. They were powerful enough as they are but they felt like adding some more dynamics.

"With all the mechs complete, we could spruce them up a bit," Kai suggested, "We could put a couple of flags on the mechs with old Ninjago script with our names on it for a personal touch."

"And give away our identities like that? The weirdest thing about it is that isn't the dumbest thing you ever suggested." His sister retorted.

"At least it's not as bad as last summer when you tried combining water polo with surfing at the wave pool in Splash City. The biggest mystery is how you did _not_ get banned."

Lloyd tuned out the Hinata siblings' argument to gaze upon the Mech Dragon. Somehow, it felt like the gargantuan machine was actually looking at him, peering into his very soul. He suddenly shuddered as if it was trying to tell him something that could change him for the worse.

'Why am I being so superstitious lately? It's probably Garmadon's fault...'

"Break time is over students. Back to training." Master Wu unknowingly brought an end to his young nephew's emotional crisis but the green ninja still stood there after the others gathered at the 'arena' where they duel.

"Lloyd! Are you joining us or what?" Cole beckoned the green ninja.

"I'm coming." The ninja leader knew he'll get nothing out of stewing over his daddy issues. As long as he doesn't spam him for the next couple of hours, he'll be fine… Maybe...

* * *

Koko went ahead to make dinner before Lloyd returns from his study sessions with his friends. Lately, she's been concerned for her son's wellbeing. She too was heckled by Garmadon via phone on a daily basis and she can tell how it's affecting their child. The former warrior was also annoyed whenever the dark lord called her, claiming he wanted to get to know his son. If he did, he would've tried to contact them years ago. Even then, she didn't want her child to end up like Garmadon. Now that she thought about it, Lloyd's been having these sessions even when there's no exams or homework.

Despite all the bullying and isolation, Lloyd was doing well academically. He wasn't exactly 'gifted' but his grades were always good.

"I'm home!" Lloyd returned to the delicious scent of spices mixing into a heavenly blend to make the best curry in all of Ninjago and no, he isn't being biased.

While unwinding in the living room, Lloyd saw how tense his mother looked as if there was something else besides cooking on her mind. It could just be from all the spam from Garmadon but he was never much of an optimist.

"Lloyd..." Koko spoke with that kind of voice a mother used when they knew their child did something, leaving the curry to simmer

"Y-yeah…?" The green ninja felt his pulse race.

"I've been meaning to ask you something for a while."

"What is it?"

"Lloyd… tell me what's going with these study sessions..."

The green ninja should've known his mother would get suspicious sooner or later.

"My friends and I just think being together will take out some of the stress from school and there are times we just hang out. I thought you'd like having all the free time to yourself."

"Why would you think I'd be happy with you gone?"

"It's not that. I know you've done a lot for me all by yourself. I _am_ grateful for everything you do."

"I know," Koko embraced her son like she's forgotten about the earlier tension, "And I'm happy you're here. No matter what anyone tells you, you are not Garmadon. You are your own person and you are in charge of your destiny. No matter where you go or what kind of person you are, you will always be my precious son. Don't _ever_ doubt that."

Lloyd wanted to take his mother's words to heart but with this strange ambivalence he's feeling over his sense of self filled his brain with doubt and a mother's love won't put an end to Garmadon's spam nor make all of his problems disappear in a flash.

Though having a full stomach could make dealing with them just a little bit easier.

* * *

With their jobs close together, Zane and Heather often met up in the district during their breaks such as today since it wasn't busy. They sat on the bench in the park, watching the rest of the world go by. Observing humans was nothing new to Zane but nowadays, he always focused on couples lately. From what he's seen, they usually enjoy each other's company but he couldn't find anything 'special' going on between them… or with him and Heather.

"Anything going on lately?" Heather asked.

"Nothing unusual outside of my daily routine." Zane answered.

Zane's mind drifted back to his conversation with Lloyd about relationships and what it would be like to have one, especially with another android. Heather was one of the first people within the age group his physical appearance took after to give him a chance. It was ironic with her affinity with flowers and her element being nature. Still, he usually gravitates towards her whenever the team gets together. He sometimes wondered if the kunoichi of nature ever did the same for him.

Now that he thought about it, why did Master Wu assign them with certain elements? Is this another case of a person being 'shallow'?

Now isn't the time to question that. His mind was focused on a different topic, one he has absolutely no knowledge of. The android knew next to nothing about relationships other than his friendship with the ninja and the familial bond with his maker who was his father in a way. Maybe this isn't his place to question such things. He'll never find the answer if he doesn't understand the concept of what he's questioning in the first place.

"I saw you the other day talking with Lloyd. It looked like you were really… invested in whatever it was you were talking about."

"Lloyd and I spoke about the possibilities of how far technology will advance… and… relationships..."

"What about relationships?"

"I have heard many teenagers in school frequently speak of 'dates' and 'crushes'. I am still confused as to why one certain fruit and the act of compressing objects are so relevant to our age group… At least the one my physical form evokes."

"That's a different kind of 'date' and 'crush'. Don't you have some sort of built-in dictionary?" Heather pointed out the nindroid's inhuman capabilities.

Zane was even more astonished he briefly forgot one of his own technological features. He looked up the definitions and stopped at the word date being defined as a social or romantic encounter between two people. He was currently engaging in a social meeting with Heather so...

"Do you consider our interaction a date?" The nindroid asked almost all of a sudden.

"WHAT!? N-NO…!" Heather spluttered and her face was as red as Jay's whenever Nya's close by. Zane was taken aback by the teal kunoichi's seeming aversion to having a 'date' with him. It also left a very unpleasant feeling in his chest he never experienced before.

"I am... sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I wasn't trying to offend you by any means… Also..." Heather hesitated, wondering if the nindroid will understand what she had to say next, "What do you think our relationship is…?"

"All I know is that I am very happy to be with you. I do feel the same with our fellow brethren but my gratitude for knowing what friendship is… I sense it is stronger with your presence. I cannot make any conclusions because it is plausible for the same thing to happen with any of the other ninja."

"You know, some people interested in romantic relationships often talk about the 'one'..."

"The one what?"

"I'm not saying this applies to everyone but… when two certain people are together… something very special happens between them that they don't experience with anyone else. It's kind of like why our parents are together and have us."

"Indeed. I usually see this 'romance' explicitly when a man and woman are together, mostly in media."

But who said a romantic relationship can only happen between a male and female?

Zane was too surprised by his own question to even say it out loud.

"Why are asking _me_ these sort of questions? I don't know a whole lot about romance. Just go watch a bunch of romance movies and you'll get the picture." Heather became exasperated by the ice ninja's questions about human bonds.

"Am I being a burden?"

"Of course not," Heather said, almost as if trying to comfort him over being sincere, "You're just being curious. It's all part of being a hu- I mean, person."

"Do you really think I can be… my own person…?"

"All I can say is you have so much potential. Maybe our relationship will become something more or it will be the same as it is now. I'm certainly not complaining so I'd say it's fine as it is. I really appreciate whenever you're around and if we go beyond that, I won't mind one bit."

"For now, I am so grateful to have gotten to know you."

Without knowing it, the nindroid and human sat closer together to the point their bodies brushed up against each other. As long as they were happy with the way things were between them, then there's no point in making the effort to change it. That's for the fates to decide.

* * *

The after-school clubs of Ninjago High still went about with their usual activities in the afternoon and the music club was no exception. The members huddled around Brad to hear his biggest plan yet. Few of them were genuinely curious while others just want to be entertained with whatever shitshow he'll pull off.

"The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a beautiful tale in of itself but it didn't quite deliver the theme of beauty as well as I hoped. I also realized that no story could be as beautiful as the one that already celebrates what true beauty is. That's why this club's crowning achievement will be a musical based on the classic tale, Beauty and the Beast!"

"But the music club did that last year!" Rumi pointed out.

"And that's why I have a backup plan!" Brad had a magic whiteboard of convenience wheeled in from out of nowhere showing what he really had in store for the club.

"This year's project will be different! Something the likes have never been seen before! So many tales and stories have been adapted for the school stage but none have sought to reach the scale of a story full of drama, intrigue, vengeance, and romance as what I'm about to present to you!"

The rest of the music club were chatting, checking stuff out on their phones, and all that kind of crap so they won't have to get bored from Brad's unnecessarily long ramblings.

"Ninjago High's best work and my personal masterpiece is this!" Brad flipped the whiteboard around to show an elaborate title card, "A musical based on the epic story, The Count of Monte Cristo!"

"The original story is really long and complex. How would you fit all of it in one play?" Griffin asked.

"And there's some stuff in it that's really… it won't transfer well into a musical. How on earth are you going to fit it all in one show?"

"We can do it in parts! One show a week filled with drama and we'll end each of them in a cliffhanger so everyone will be begging for more! It'll be just like Game of Crowns except the finale won't suck!"

The rest of the music club weren't sure if they'll be able to live up to their leader's lofty expectations.

"Surely this time will be your big break!" The club leader turned to Luna to help make his best idea yet become a reality, "You had so much promise in our last project so I want you to do your part in making The Count of Monte Cristo a pinnacle in the history of performing arts!"

"I'm up for it." The music-loving girl accepted Brad's idea, her lifelong dream to become an idol just as strong as ever and she read the book before so this could be really interesting. There were a bunch of characters she could play as such as Mercedes, Valentine, or Haydee.

"What do you think, Cole? You mind lending a hand?" The club leader turned to the buff teen.

Cole merely shrugged, believing he won't do much besides helping the music club as always, not that he minded.

'But what if I could be doing more…?' The black ninja surely wasn't complaining about helping others but he couldn't shake off the feeling he doesn't have to do this all the time. There may be others who need help and he felt that the music club can manage without him. That's kinda why he agreed to be part of the Secret Ninja Force.

He can only wonder what the others are up to.

* * *

Kai and Aria sat in the theater watching Toy Tales 4. There was little else to do in the city though their curiosity wasn't in vain. The movie was actually really good and it gave them a real excuse to be out of the house besides the alibis they create to uphold the ninja vow of secrecy.

"I just realized something..." Aria started after they left the theater.

"What is it?" Kai urged the kunoichi of wind to continue.

"This is actually the first time we watched a movie together. It's definitely not the same when I'm with my family or friends." The olive-skinned girl confessed.

"What? You don't to watch movies with me anymore?"

"N-no! I mean… I didn't hate it. It's just that… all I know is that it feels like a very different experience. I don't know what it is though..."

"Then why get all worked up over it?" Kai retorted, "As long as you like it, you don't have to question it. Just make the most out of this."

"Maybe you're right. Though it's still hard to not think of all the possibilities that we might miss."

"Why not just go and grab the opportunity before it can get away?"

"I think it's because I've been let down by the many decisions I made before. Maybe I just can't handle anymore disappointment than I already have."

"You'll never know if it's bad unless you try it. That's kinda why I always go for it. I've experienced my fair share of disappointment but as they say, the more you know!"

"Kai, you're really something else, you know that?"

"Yeah, cuz no one else can match these good looks!" Kai struck a pose and the background suddenly burst with bubbles and sparkles...

"Dammit Justin! This is the third time the bubble machine malfunctioned!" One of the theater workers complained about the haywire prop.

"Hey! Don't pin this on me Jack! You were supposed to clean up the glitter all over the floor after that birthday party! Now those stupid bubbles are getting it everywhere!"

And that kids is where those sparkly bubbles you see in anime come from.

* * *

 **With that, we're getting close to the movie events. Hopefully we'll reach at least part of it before the end of summer but you all know how often I jinx myself. Until then, please review.**


	98. Hopes and Expectations

**Discovering Destiny**

 **We're getting closer to the movie events! We'll see more of what the mechs can do & Garmadon goes out for a very important mission. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 97: Hopes and Expectations

The people of Ninjago went about their business while the Secret Ninja Force and Shark Army duked it out above them. Who knew having the worst guy ever invading the city on a daily basis would become a great method of desensitization for this sort of crap?

"Jay! You got enemies on your tail!" Lloyd warned the blue ninja from atop the Mech Dragon.

The shy guy briefly panicked and upped the Lightning Jet's speed as fast as it can go. Being chased was nothing new to him and he sent bolts of electricity from the lightning rods to quickly fend them off. He can only hope the green ninja's plan will work.

"Do you think this plan will work?" Nya asked as the Water Strider scaled the sides of the tall buildings of the city like the arachnid that inspired its design.

"We need time for the cannon to charge up! We'll have to keep them busy until the time is right!" The green ninja answered, "It will be up to Iris in the end! When that time comes, it's up to us make sure everything is in position!"

"By the way," Jay joined in, "Do you think Iris will be alright by herself?"

"She understands the situation we're in! It'll be up to her to decide the outcome of this mission!"

In the outskirts of Ninjago City, the Volk Titan stood with its sight set on the brawl going on in the far distance. Its facial components shifted to reveal a hidden cannon that started to glow with incredible force. All that was left for Iris to do was wait until it reached full power.

And that was many minutes ago.

Iris was on the edge of her seat while the Volk Titan was charging up its main cannon. If there was one complaint she had about her mech, it's the rather lengthy charge time. She even found time to get out her phone and watch some puppy videos while the others did the brunt work. The only thing the pink kunoichi had to do was wait for the signal which Lloyd was also taking his sweet time on.

The Mech Dragon wrestled with the largest enemy mech that happened to piloted by Lord Garmadon. It looks like he does have the bite to match his bark. The dark lord's mech wrestled with the draconian machine wrapped around it. It was a struggle trying not to lose his seating but Lloyd was determined. It's up to him to make sure Garmadon will get out of Ninjago, and his life, for good.

"Get your filthy mech away from me!" Garmadon's voice boomed from within the cockpit. The Mech Dragon and its pilot refused to let up.

"Keep squirming and it'll be _you_ whose filthy mech that should get away from mine!" The green ninja growled and the Mech Dragon clamped its jaws hard on one of Shark Army mech's arms, piercing the metal plating with its many sharp teeth. Oblivious father and son fought with intense ferocity

Jay and Nya continued to blast down the other enemy mechs while Lloyd kept Garmadon restrained.

"Warning: power level less than twenty-five percent." The Mech Dragon AI warned Lloyd of the beast's limits. He was beginning to struggle against Garmadon and one of its limbs faltered. The evil warlord took advantage of the tiny slip-up and shoved the dragon off of him.

"Lloyd!" Jay and Nya wanted to intervene but were interrupted by Garmadon's underlings.

The green ninja refused to give up but neither did the dark lord. Their mechs were locked together in a vice grip and both struggled to overpower the other. It was getting kinda ugly and Lloyd was starting to wonder if the time-consuming procedure for the Volk Titan's cannon was really worth it. It's too late to complain about it now so there's no choice but to wait it out.

'It should be ready by now…!'

The Mech Dragon's sonar detected several faint beeps coming from where the Volk Titan was situated, indicating the main cannon was ready.

"Iris! Now!" Lloyd gave the kunoichi of metal the signal to unleash the Volk Titan's fury…

But nothing happened.

"Iris? What is she doing?" The green ninja tried to contact her, which was a struggle in of itself when there's a hellbent warlord to keep at bay.

Meanwhile, the girly kunoichi giggled at the antics of the dalmatian puppies on her phone, oblivious to the green ninja's face popping up on the screen of her mech's control panel.

"IRIS!" The ninja leader shouted at the top of his lungs.

"What!?" The kunoichi of metal snapped back. At least Lloyd finally got her attention.

"Did you forget about our plan!? You gotta fire! NOW!" The green ninja goaded her while doing what he can to keep Garmadon restrained.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh! _Someone_ needs to learn about patience!" The violet-eyed kunoichi commanded the Volk Titan to fire the fully charged cannon. She had yet to discover its potential and now it's time to find out.

An eerie silence loomed over the whole city for a few seconds and then it finally happened.

A deafening roar shook the city and an intense beam almost blinded everyone watching the spectacle. The Mech Dragon flew off in the nick of time and let Garmadon take the full blow of the lupine mech's fury. Numerous compartments exploded and fell apart from the vicious impact. Once the power of the cannon dissipated within seconds that felt like minutes, the dark lord's gigantic mech collapsed into a heap of charred smoking metal. Many moments passed and there was no sound or movement coming from the wreckage.

"Did we actually…?" Jay felt nauseous just thinking about the possibility of…

Faint scraping of metal echoed from within the rubble and bits of debris shifted. The ninja and civilians felt their hearts race as the noise grew ever louder and more chunks of scrap metal were moved until the dark lord burst forth, heaving with rage.

"This… this isn't over yet...!" The dark lord wheezed and crawled out of the rubble.

Outnumbered by three mechs, Garmadon didn't want to but had to accept there's no way he'll defeat them in his frazzled state. With a loud growl of frustration, he fled the scene, leaving the Secret Ninja Force to examine the damage they've done to him.

The ninja were still astonished by the outcome of this battle. Just one mech was enough to cause such carnage. If all their mechs combined all their full power in one attack, just how much destruction will they cause?

But it's alright because they're the good guys, right?

Iris was beyond shocked upon seeing what her mech as truly capable of. It almost reminded her of the cataclysm in Almaz her uncle told her about. If they cause something like that in Ninjago...

"Iris, how do you feel?" Nya's voice brought the kunoichi of metal out of her stupor.

"I-I'm fine… It's just… I can't believe I did all that..." Her girly teammate still hasn't recovered from the outcome of the mission.

"It's shocking to see what we're capable of..." The silver kunoichi continued to observe the remains of the battlefield.

"Lloyd, are you sure you know what you're doing with the mechs?" Jay asked, "One day, they might go berserk or Kai will go mad with power."

"What are you implying?" The green ninja questioned back with a hint of aggression in his voice. The timid ninja recoiled at his tone.

"Give it a rest," Nya placated Lloyd, "You know how Jay rambles on over a bunch of stuff."

Nya's words were like knives thrown into the blue ninja's heart.

"Jay? Is something wrong?" The silver kunoichi noticed her comrade's strange silence.

"N-nothing…!" The lightning ninja brushed off the strong-willed girl's concern. Even now, he dreaded to look even wimpier than he already was in front of her.

"There's plenty of time to bitch and moan later. Let's go." Lloyd ordered the Mech Dragon to fly away, leaving the others to follow him.

The citizens could only stare helplessly at the remains of the destroyed mechs.

"Now what?"

* * *

The ninja ate lunch in school together as always. Because only Master Wu would know what goes into cafeteria food, they opted to have some real food. Luckily, Zane is the closest person Ninjago City has to an angel and was more than willing to provide some homemade sandwiches for his comrades, each with their favorite fillings. As long as they can eat the amazing food he makes, Ninjago High might not have to be such a pain in the ass all the time.

"So… what do you think about Brad's latest project?" Luna tried chatting with Cole.

"What?" The earth ninja asked through a mouthful of club sandwich.

"The Count of Monte Cristo. Don't you remember?"

"Oh yeah," The memories eventually came back to the muscular teen, "I wonder how he's gonna pull that one off."

"Everyone's thinking the same. It would be exciting to work on something so big but I don't think we have enough resources or money to do it and we know how Brad can get with this kind of stuff." The music-loving girl mused.

"Why not make a fundraiser?" Cole suggested, "I'm sure the school board won't mind."

"I don't want to sound rude but why don't you try sharing _your_ ideas for the club?"

"The music club is nice and all but it's not really the kind of stuff I can see myself doing in the long run. I still love music but I don't think stage musicals is really for me."

Luna can't help but feel disappointed in Cole. She can't help it. She's been having this strange sense of being let down. As far as she knew, Cole was a reliable young man who always knew how to solve just about any problem. Maybe the music club isn't exactly perfect for him. If so, then it seemed odd that she never questioned it until now.

'Now that I think about it, I never really questioned my own life choices until I joined the ninja...' The kunoichi of sound thought to herself.

The purple kunoichi thought about all the decisions she made up to this point. She still held on to her dream of becoming an idol but besides that… she never made much choices that had little to do with her personal ambitions. Master Wu did say that being a ninja meant finding oneself and maybe all her recent questioning could be that.

'It's probably the stress from all the work as a ninja. Yeah, that's probably it.' Luna pinned her doubts on her choice to join the Secret Ninja Force and went back to finishing her lunch.

Cole shrugged and continued eating his sandwich. Even after everything he's done as the black ninja, there's still a lot about himself he has yet to figure out. He still wasn't sure what kind of future he may have or what kind of person he was besides loving music. He kinda hoped the answers would come to him once he joined the ninja but his expectations have been confounded. Even a laid-back guy like him has his limits and hopefully it won't be crossed.

And he knows how misleading hope can be.

* * *

After another day of training his students, Master Wu settled down in the Destiny's Bounty. Inside his room, he lit up some incense sticks and poured himself a cup of warm tea. The earthy scent of herbs mingled with the mellow fragrance of green tea. The steam offered a tiny bit of warmth for the elderly man before he sat down and began to clear his mind.

Time is a river that perpetually moves forward but if one goes against the current, they may be able to capture glimpses of the past. Master Wu reminisced over old memories of his childhood, playing with his brother. He even remembered all the times he mocked him for looking like an old man even in his earliest years and he's not making it up. He really did have a white beard since he was a baby. Besides that, he also recalled the lessons their father taught him and the words of support from their mother.

The past belongs in the past. Wu traveled with the flow of time towards recent events and those that are to come. He also recalled the day he first told Lloyd of his plans to form the Secret Ninja Force. It still felt like yesterday when he offered his confused nephew the opportunity to find himself. He made a lot of progress but he still had quite a ways to go.

Now Wu's mind journeyed further into the future. Most of the images he saw were fuzzy but the old man was able to make out some of his visions. Among those he can make out, he saw himself clad in black and Lloyd and Koko embracing in a display of tender familial love. The very last thing he saw was Lloyd with…

'No…!'

Master Wu's mind was disturbed by the vision, throwing his psyche off the flow and losing focus. The sagely man found himself back in his solitary abode. There was no more steam rising from the cup of tea that was now lukewarm and the incense sticks were almost entirely burned out.

After all these years, he still hasn't obtained full control of his emotions. If he, an old man who lived to see it all over many years, is still overwhelmed by his own psyche, what could it mean for his students who are still so young and naive?

'There's plenty of time to worry later. Focus. Remember what Father taught us.'

Wu cleared the quiet room of all the unnecessary clutter until he noticed the big compartment tucked away in the corner of the room. The feeling of unease came crawling back. He was aware his nephew will know what lies within eventually and that all he can do is delay it.

He knew it was no use bothering to hope. There was a time he believed in hope but that's not who he is anymore. Instead, he must prepare for the inevitable.

* * *

Garmadon walked amongst the civilians of Ninjago City in a disguise so clever no one would suspect a thing. A person slinking around in an extra thick trench coat, fedora, and face mask wasn't suspicious at all. Totally not suspicious.

The dark lord's lower arms felt a bit cramped but he had to keep them folded underneath his clothes if he didn't want his agenda interrupted. He needed more information on the Secret Ninja Force as well as whatever it is Koko's up to. He waited until he found a crowd in front of a toy store. On the display window was (he guessed it) a toy set featuring the Secret Ninja Force. At least he can try and ask the people of their public opinions.

"The Secret Ninja Force really is something, huh?" Garmadon spoke to get the people to start talking.

"Definitely!" One of the townsfolk _finally_ responded, "They're the only people in this whole city who actually get up and do something about Garmadon."

"Even though we never see much of his face, I bet the green ninja is so handsome!"

"And the other guys probably aren't bad-looking either!"

"The kunoichi aren't slouches either. They're just as cool as the guys."

"And their freakin' ninja! Who doesn't love ninja!?"

"They're so awesome they can make _everything_ awesome!"

"Yeah! Just like in that song!"

Garmadon was getting sick of hearing everyone gushing over the bunch of brats who do nothing but needlessly delay his inevitable domination over Ninjago. They had the same amount of charisma as a mosquito. He wanted to change the subject fast.

"Anything to say about Garmadon…?" The dark lord inquired the commoners for their opinion of him.

The people's glowing admiration of the ninja completely changed into open disdain for the dark lord, the one person who's preventing Ninjago from knowing true peace.

"That guy is such an asshat! He's the cause of everything bad that happens in this damn city!" One of the men in the crowd complained.

"You got that right! And he's so freakin' annoying, saying he'll take over Ninjago but you know what? If he's really all that powerful, why hasn't he taken over the city by now?"

"Yeah! Even if he's a bad guy, the least he can do is make good on his words. He's nothing but a poser."

"Ugh! He's literally the worst guy ever!" A middle-aged woman ranted "He's such a terrible influence on today's youth!"

"Strange of you to say that. No sane person would even dare to look up to him." Her husband added.

"Everyone that is… except for Lloyd." A third citizen joined in.

"Oh yeah. The whole city would be better off with that little freak. It's only a matter of time before he ends up like that evil father of his."

The dark lord felt his veins pop just listening to everyone talking shit about him. It took everything in the four-armed tyrant not to round them all up and blast them from his volcano lair. It wasn't just the slander towards him that pissed him off. He was also outraged by their animosity towards Lloyd. As far as he knew, his child has zero involvement in his nefarious deeds. Now he really wanted to bring them to a world of hurt for insulting those of his blood. But he wanted to know more about Lloyd. It might be best to go to a place he frequents and that place is...

* * *

Garmadon stood before the building that is known as Ninjago High. Despite it being a weekend, there were plenty of staff still working in there. Lloyd would most likely attend this school since it's the only significant place for teens to be educated on stuff they'll end up not needing for the shitty retail jobs they'll be stuck in until the day they die.

"Are you a parent of one of our students or just visiting?" A staff member approached Garmadon the moment he entered the building.

"I'm… a visitor..." The dark lord's hidden arms squirmed under the trench coat but he had to maintain his cover. Once the staff plastered on a visitor tag on his chest, he went on his merry way, wandering the halls and taking in the sights of the building. Soon, he came across one of the teachers. Maybe she knows a thing or two about Lloyd.

"Tell me more about Lloyd Garmadon." He immediately cut to the chase.

"Why would you be interesting in that… boy…?" The teacher asked, gritting her teeth at the last word.

"Why would I not be?"

"That little brat has been a thorn on everyone's side since he came here."

"What did he do?"

"It's not what he does. It's the kind of person he is. He's always going around reminding everyone he's the son of Garmadon. He technically doesn't say anything but we _know_."

"I don't know about you but that's kind of a flimsy reason to hate him..." Even the worst guy ever felt disgusted by everyone's hatred for Lloyd. It's not his son's fault he's the way he is.

"But anyone and anything even remotely related to the worst guy ever would be just as bad."

By this point, Garmadon added 'raze Ninjago High to the ground and salt the earth so nothing will ever grow there' to his agenda in his plan to take over Ninjago. He doesn't even have to give an explanation as to why.

At least that will make it all the easier for another plan he had in mind...

* * *

Lloyd was in the middle of channel surfing until he realized what day it is.

Today just happened to be the last day before the month of his birthday. While most teens would love to celebrate their birthdays in the most indulgent ways possible, Lloyd was dreading it.

Then again, he is _not_ like most teens in the first place.

It wasn't the day itself nor the natural aging process that made him hate his birthdays. No matter how he celebrated it and if anyone else besides his mother and uncle come, the absence of a father figure always reminded him of what he may never have. Because of that, he never brought it up to anyone, not even his friends. They'll try too hard to 'make it up' for him with a plethora of presents and candy, which is nice and all but it's not going to get him what he really wants.

Even without a true father figure in his life, Lloyd wasn't immune to the giddiness everyone has when their birthday draws near. The lure of presents and cake held its sway over him. He's been thinking of getting that Far From Space movie or his own copy of Super Sunshine Galaxy Odyssey because he can only play at Kai and Nya's house. And besides birthday cake, he also wanted plenty of sour candy and maybe his mom can make some of her signature sweet and spicy shrimp noodles.

And a certain four-armed, black-skinned warmonger's timing couldn't be more perfect.

A new text from Garmadon popped up in his phone's notifications, much to his son's dismay. Despite memories telling himself otherwise, Lloyd kinda hoped the dark lord will remember his birthday.

'I shouldn't open it but...' The green-eyed teen stared at the blinking icon on his phone screen. Before he knew it, he opened the message.

'Lloyd, you can't shut me out forever. I will get you back to where you belong.' Even on the phone, the worst guy ever tried to sound as threatening as possible. Lloyd wasn't having any of it, even if it's his fault for needlessly putting his hopes up.

'I'm not your damn property…!' The green ninja gritted his sharp teeth reading the message. He just wanted to chuck his phone across the room but there's no way his mom can afford a new phone soon with the low-income jobs she's always stuck with. Even worse was the fact that he said nothing about his upcoming birthday.

However, there was something in him that compelled Lloyd to text back despite knowing better.

'Damn daddy issues...' The green ninja cursed his own deep-seated emotional crisis.

He stared at his phone for what felt like forever until...

* * *

 **Ah. Nothing like a cliffhanger to kill your readers' trust.**

 **That's it for this chapter. As we're getting close to the movie, there's still gonna be plenty of stuff that will happen between the movie events. As always, review!**


	99. Absolute Power

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hi guys! As far as this site is concerned we're 1 chapter away from 100! I can't believe it! This chapter will be important as it's filled with more allusions to the upcoming movie events & we'll finally discover what happened in Almaz. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 98: Absolute Power

The ninja all stared in concern when Lloyd showed up at school looking more pissed off than usual. He seemed completely oblivious to everyone and everything around him while he dragged himself down the halls. No sooner had he reached his desk in his first class did the green ninja slam his head against it with a loud thud. He didn't move a single inch and his teammates were becoming concerned.

"Should we talk to him?" Aria suggested.

"Do you have a death wish?" Iris stared at her like she said cats and bunnies are related.

"It wouldn't matter. He's probably dead." Kai would've poked him if Nya hadn't stopped him on time.

Lloyd's mind was going berserk from what happened the other day and yes, we're gonna have another brief flashback.

 _Lloyd read the text message from Garmadon over and over again. He can't believe the audacity of him to talk to him like some prize and not acknowledging his birthday. Then again, he's evil. Even worse, he was still compelled to text back._

 _He stared at his phone for what felt like forever until…_

 _Before he realized it, his thumbs pressed the letters to create a new message. It perfectly summed up his feelings of frustration, resentment, and anger towards the dark lord. The green ninja sent the text the moment he finished typing._

' _That'll show that douche...'_

 _Garmadon was in the middle of his brooding baddie moment in his office when Dance of Doom began playing on his phone. The number it was from was none other than **him**._

' _So it looks like we do share something in common...' The dark lord opened the new message but what he got couldn't be any more different than his expectations._

' _Hippity Hoppity. I'm not your damn property.'_

 _Wait a minute. This is supposed to be Lloyd's flashback. How would he know what Garmadon would've done at that time?_

 _Something about this doesn't add up..._

…

 _Flashback time is over!_

Back to the present, Lloyd was still laying prone on his desk while the other ninja can do little else but stare at him.

Lloyd slowly lifted his head from his desk. The impact left a lovely red mark on his forehead that made his expression look way more threatening than it already was. For once, his friends knew better than to awaken a sleeping dragon and steered clear from him. He probably didn't even need to tell them or his mom of the new batch of black spots on his stomach.

He can already tell his birthday will be a blast.

* * *

Master Wu continued to observe his students once they were done training and he wasn't too happy with their recent actions. They've been depending on their mechs for the majority of their missions as of late. When he approved of Lloyd building the mechs, he intended for the ninja to use the machines solely as support when the going gets tough. Nowadays, they use the mechs from the get-go for every single mission. They hardly fight anyone with their weapons or martial art skills anymore. If they keep it up, they'll lose sight of what it means to be a ninja.

"Lloyd, I am growing concerned on your excessive reliance on your mechs," Wu finally spoke to Lloyd about his concerns, "I do not wish for you to forget all the things I have taught you up to this point."

"Since when did you actually taught us something?" Lloyd retorted and that earned him a blow to the head via Wu's bamboo staff of convenience.

"Why are you pinning this on me? I may have built the mechs but the others are using them too!" The green ninja pouted at having to take all the blame.

"We're all here. Stop acting like it's all about you." Iris retorted, surrounded by the other ninja.

"Since when were you all here?" Lloyd questioned how this all worked but nobody got time for that.

"A ninja must endure all kinds of hardships, not demolish it all with a bunch of machines before they can even pose any amount of threat." Master Wu began his usual lectures.

"But getting rid of all threats to Ninjago _is_ our job!" Kai talked back.

"And what if we don't bring our mechs but the Shark Army will?" Jay added.

"That may be but that is not all there is in being a ninja. I did not teach you the art of self-defense and how to use your weapons just to cast them aside."

"Oh yeah. Guess I kinda forgot about that..." Heather averted her eyes from her mentor sheepishly.

"Power is very tempting but true power isn't one's capabilities in battle. It is knowing how to create a perfect balance of action, will, and wisdom."

"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?" Nya complained.

"I get all that 'learn from your mistakes' spiel but what if we end up making a huge mistake that could cause irreversible damage?" Jay pointed out.

"That is why, starting now, we'll spend the rest of today's training meditating." Wu paused in time for the chorus of bored groans.

"No offense but what does meditating have to do with us not using our mechs so much?" Cole asked.

"You must obtain perfect balance within yourself before trying to handle something that could easily bring about destruction as much as creation if one's heart is not balanced. Obtaining peace of mind is a preferable way to start."

"At least Zane got that down." Luna glanced at the nindroid, already seated in the lotus position in the corner with his face replaced by a bar indicating his power level.

The others tried to follow the android's example with varying results. Jay couldn't stop squirming in his seat, trying to maintain a lotus position. The strain of keeping a perfect posture took its toll on Lloyd as the green ninja frequently hunched over.

'Just think happy thoughts… Like when I got to go to N-Pop Girl's concert… Wait, we weren't supposed to think, are we…?' Aria tried but missed by a long shot.

"I can't take it anymore!" Kai threw his hands up after only three minutes of practice.

"What's the use?" Heather also gave up, "It'll probably take years before we get this 'perfect balance' bullcrap! I don't know how Master Wu does it!"

Nya put in one hundred percent effort in this lesson just like she does with everything. There's no way she'll _not_ master the art of meditation. It'll be foolish trying to compete with Zane but Cole was giving the competitive girl a run for her money. The big guy was completely still and his eyes were closed in a serene trance. His chest slowly ebbed and swelled in a relaxed pace. It was almost _too_ perfect...

"Cole?" Nya crept closer to the black ninja to inspect his seemingly tranquil disposition.

The earth ninja's light snores said it all.

Meanwhile, Master Wu already got this whole meditation thing down. He was aware of his students' difficulty trying to obtain peace of mind. This isn't something that can be mastered in an instant.

These young teens still have a long way to go.

* * *

The Petite Corner was bustling as usual so it wasn't surprising to Aria when she arrived to see it almost entirely packed. Fortunately, she wasn't too hungry so she withstood the wait until she got a seat. She seemed to go through her day with no worries but one can only see so much on the surface. Every day seemed to be the same for her. Wake up, go to school, goof off, train and maybe go on a mission, goof off again, and then sleep. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Even the sweet and spicy medley of flavors of the Petite Corner's curry rice which she never had until now failed to give her something new. The rest of the world came and went as usual until she was done with the food and bill.

Just as she got up to leave, she spotted Zane coming out of the kitchen in his usual attire. The kunoichi of wind knew of his quirks only from what Heather told her. Today, she's gonna find out for herself.

"Wanna hang out?" She joined the nindroid once he reached the door.

"That would be delightful but I cannot find any apparatus to hang from." Zane answered.

"Uh… I meant spending some time together..." Aria tried explaining again, this time saying it so the ice ninja will understand.

"It would be my pleasure." The ice ninja understood and accepted the olive-skinned girl's offer.

Much like herself, Zane would suddenly stop and stare at any little thing that intrigued him even in the slightest bit, from a bird perched on a tree to a plane flying in the distance. It wasn't dissimilar to how she would shop at every fashion outlet within her sight.

"Aria, look at this," Zane picked up a random pebble from the ground, "I have never seen anything like it until today."

The tiny rock in the nindroid's hand was perfectly smooth. There wasn't even a single blemish on the pristine surface. It was pretty but that's all there is to it.

"It's just a pebble." The orange kunoichi brushed off his fascination over something so trivial. Despite what she said, Zane still admired the smooth stone and kept it as they sauntered through the streets.

True to her nature, the olive-skinned girl would stop at anything that caught her eye, mostly clothes. It took ten seconds for Zane to realize he was walking by himself. He slid backward with the wheels in his feet to where Aria stood, glued to a display window. On the other side of the glass was a sky blue tank top with white frills on the neckline and a filigree pattern in the center. Aria's eyes shone with a spark of excitement for a second before realizing her situation.

"You seem rather interested in that item," Zane observed, "Yet you also look unhappy."

"I'd buy it but I don't have enough money with me." Aria pouted.

"It is merely an arrangement of woven textiles, a simple object like this pebble." The ice ninja pointed out kunoichi of wind's 'logic' over these supposedly small things.

The orange kunoichi became flustered, never thinking that Zane of all people would throw her words back at her.

"I apologize. Did I offend you?" The white ninja became aware of how troubled she looked.

"What do you think?" Aria said tersely.

Zane fell silent and the pair continued exploring the city. They saw some buildings they never set foot in before, foods they have yet to try, and other novelties of that sort. Zane was always eager to learn more about humanity and its ups and downs.

"I cannot help but wonder why you are curious about so many things?" Zane asked the spirited girl.

Aria stood still as a statue, pondering over the nindroid's question. She was aware of why she always sought different things in her life. She just had trouble describing it and wondered if she should bother to try and answer.

"There could be more to Ninjago than meets the eye and I want to see it for myself." The kunoichi of wind finally spoke.

"I have felt the same curiosity you have for what lies beyond Ninjago." Zane replied.

"So you understand how I feel…?" Aria was surprised by the nindroid's confession.

"I cannot say for certain if it is the same but at least it is similar."

"It's getting late. Guess I'll see you at training later."

"It will only be two hours and six minutes but I can wait."

Aria considered addressing Zane's… quirkiness… but decided against it. He was still an interesting guy and it felt nice hanging out with him for a change.

The pair left, both feeling a slight sense of reassurance over their shared curiosity of the world. If the ninja really share more in common than they thought, then that could be why Master Wu chose them of all people to form a team and perhaps they can get along...

* * *

Kai and Heather scoured the lands around Ninjago for any suspicious activity with their mechs. So far, nothing seemed unusual.

Seemingly out of a whim, Heather shut down her Land Tracker and emerged. Kai's protective instincts went into overdrive and he followed her out in case anything sinister may pop up.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Kai tried to get his teammate back to her mech.

"I'm taking a break from the mechs. What else?" The kunoichi of nature answered like it was the most obvious thing in the entire universe.

The fire ninja was silent but his annoyance was still apparent. Eventually, he also left his own mech to take a good look at it. The humanoid machine stood proud and tall, ready to protect Ninjago City from any harm. Kai felt his already massive ego swell with pride at the sight. It was because of the mechs he and the ninja were successful in keeping Garmadon and his henchmen at bay. Why Master Wu would want the ninja to get rid of the mechs was something the red ninja had a hard time comprehending.

"Maybe Master Wu does have a point," Heather spoke, "We might be relying too much on our mechs for just about everything like right now. We've investigated the city by ourselves so why can't we do it like that anymore?"

"There's never anything wrong with a little extra firepower. I'd say we give it all we got." Kai boasted.

"Uh… I think all that power is already getting to your head." The kunoichi of nature slowly took a step back from the budding pyromaniac.

"Bullcrap! Not only will the mechs hand Garmadon's ass to him on a silver platter, we'll be famous and everyone won't dare to bother Lloyd again! And we'll be the most popular guys in school, no, Ninjago City! Nobody would want to mess with the Secret Ninja Force as long as we have our badass mechs!" The spiky-haired ninja bragged with a disturbing fire glowing in his eyes.

'You just _had_ to ignore Nya's advice this one time...' Now Heather really wanted to take her mech and get as far away from Kai as possible before he burns down the whole forest. She can only hope Master Wu's teachings will get to Kai before his questionable ambitions do.

* * *

Eating a good meal together often helped Iris and Karloff confide in each other of everything large or small that happened in their lives. However, tonight was an exception. Iris refused to look at her uncle and ate much more slowly than usual. Karloff didn't mind much because there was plenty for him to talk about.

"We're still fixing the buildings that were damaged by the mechs," Karloff spoke while munching away on some pelmeni, "I understand the ninja mean well but do they really have to bring their mechs and blow everything up?"

Iris almost yelped and ended up swallowing her food a little too fast and coughed loudly. Her relative rushed to pat her back as she tried to get the partially chewed pelmeni out of her throat. She choked and then let out a huge cough, finally getting the pelmeni out of her throat and onto the table in all its chewed up, saliva-coated glory.

"Are you alright? Can you breathe?" The burly man checked on his little niece who was wheezing more than an old bagpipe.

"I… I'm fine..." Iris sputtered.

After cleaning up the small mess, they went back to eating though Iris still appeared troubled. Karloff was concerned but didn't want to nag her and he knew she was a strong young woman.

"Can you tell me what life was like in Almaz? And what happened?"

"I already told you many times. Why do you want to hear it again now?"

"I dunno," The violet-eyed girl shrugged, "I just feel like it."

Karloff relived some of the memories of what happened that fateful day. Even after all these years, he can never forget the hardships he and his family went through and the devastation that resulted from the nefarious incident.

"Those who remember that event call it the miracle that shouldn't have happened. I was lucky to not have been in Almaz when it happened. Even before that my family didn't have much. We struggled to get food on the table and I believed there was more I could do to support them. The economy back in those days weren't the best and since this was in the early days of the Warring Era, Almaz was struck by many battles. When combining those two, it wasn't the greatest place to live in and many families left. I originally planned to join a group of inventors who were create a bunch of defense mechanisms to protect the city from all the battles going on in the outside world but our family wanted to get out as soon as possible."

"Does that include..."

"Yes. We all planned to leave but I stayed with the inventors long enough to learn of a certain project they were working on."

"What was it for?" Iris already knew as well as understanding how upset her uncle gets whenever he recalled it so her question was more of an impulse than anything else.

"The only thing they told me was that it will end the fighting once and for all. I wasn't sure why but at that time, I had this bad feeling in my gut when I first heard of it. I kinda hate that I was right..." Karloff sighed and held his head in his hands.

"Uncle, you don't have to say it. I already know."

"I'll be fine..."

The pink kunoichi gave her uncle some time to recollect himself before going back to his tale.

"Eventually, the family were all packed up and ready to move and I couldn't delay them any longer. We moved and settled in Ninjago City for a while. We were able to make a living in a more stable place. I even found a sense of purpose with my new job."

Karloff fell silent like he always does whenever he gets to that part. No matter how much Iris nagged him, he _never_ talked about what this new job was so it was no use trying to get him to fess up so she didn't feel like asking, allowing him to continue.

"We lived peacefully in Ninjago City for some time, er, as peacefully as we can during the Warring Era. Eventually grew homesick and one day, decided to go back to Almaz. There was no big reason behind it, just for old time's sake. We were on our way there when we saw it happen. Almaz was within sight and intact one second and the next, it was engulfed in a destructive force. Buildings crumbled down, plants withered and died in seconds, and the sky turned red as blood. But the worst of it all were the screams. The screams… Even now, I can still hear them..."

Iris knew her uncle was a strong man and not just in the physical sense yet every time he recalled the miracle that shouldn't have happened, it seemed to break his steadfast demeanor. The calamity was like no other so she couldn't blame him.

"Almaz was completely razed to the ground. Many rushed to help but the damage has been done. The city was completely obliterated and less than five hundred people in the city survived. Based on what I was told by them, the 'project' the inventors were working on was actually a super-weapon meant to stop the conflicts at the source. They believed if there were no lands to side with, there won't be any more fighting. Then that idea opened up more opportunities and not the good kind. Only the people who made it knew what they were thinking."

"What do you think went on in their heads?"

"I think they initially had no plans on doing it but they realized what their super-weapon was capable of. Almaz was small compared to most settlements back then. If they were all wiped out, Almaz would be the only one standing. They now had this incredible power in their hands and they wanted to take advantage of it. This was no longer for the safety of our city but to raise it up at the expense of peace. If they have to bring the world to ruin to become the greatest, they'll be happy to rule over the ashes."

Iris felt a disturbing sense of deja vu remembering the times Karloff told her of Almaz's horrifying fate and Master Wu's recent lectures to be wary of the dangers of possessing too much power. They were both so similar it was scary.

"Almaz was rebuilt but it was never the same. The economy improved and with the Warring Era over, people were coming back, including ours. But the whole world will never forget the cataclysm wrought by Almaz' pursuit of power. After having had my own… experiences… I felt Almaz wasn't the place for me, which is why I moved back to Ninjago City when you were very little. And the rest of it is history." Karloff concluded one of the most harrowing events in Ninjago history.

Iris' thoughts briefly went to a certain someone but she was already uneasy. Thinking about them will only make it worse.

"We should be wary of what so much power can do to absolutely anyone. Even after witnessing what happened to Almaz and knowing what our parents went through to keep us alive, I'm not thrilled with the choices _she_ made. Anyone in our position would know better than to learn from the past. I don't want you going down that same path."

"Do you think something like what happened to Almaz will happen again?"

"I can't know for certain," Karloff sighed sadly, "We humans have potential to make the world a better place yet we're also the ones who could destroy it. It's like two sides of the same coin, we can't have one without the other. That's why we must know our past so we can build a better future."

Karloff leaned over and lifted Iris' chin with his hand to lock eyes with each other.

"I want you to know this so you can build your own future. You must create your own path and learn so you won't make the same mistakes of the past. I know you are better than you think you are and all I want for you is to realize that. Understood?"

Iris stared at her uncle with her violet eyes for several uneasy moments until she solemnly nodded.

While she understood Karloff's caution, she couldn't forget Master Wu's recent lessons in not allowing power to control oneself and what other terrifying things could be out there. She already faced one of them and she didn't want that to happen again.

Lloyd better know what he's doing…

* * *

 **Wow. Wasn't that quite the doozy?**

 **By the time this story gets to the movie plot, more secrets will be revealed. Until then, review!**


	100. Unearthing Secrets

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hey guys. Some pretty interesting stuff will happen in this chapter as we're getting close to the movie events. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 99: Unearthing Secrets

The ninja were up to their usual shenanigans at their stronghold. Just like every hormone-addled teen, they were completely glued to their phones during their break. At least most of them were.

Iris was aware of how eerily similar the mechs were to the super-weapon that destroyed Almaz. After what happened with the Volk Titan and hearing Karloff's grievances over the unintentional destruction caused by their mechs. She spotted Lloyd tinkering with the Mech Dragon and felt a pit in her stomach remembering what happened before.

"Lloyd, are you sure you know what you're doing?" The pink kunoichi asked once he was finished.

"Oh, so _now_ you think the mechs are a bad thing." Lloyd rolled his emerald eyes.

"It's not that. It's just… the school still teaches everyone about what happened in Almaz and after all the things the mechs have done, Master Wu might be right to not let us use them so much anymore."

The green ninja would've dismissed Iris' concerns she didn't have until now if not for some things he noticed. The kunoichi of metal didn't seem to mind the mechs at first and she also had to bring up the miracle that shouldn't have happened, something she didn't need to do unless…

One of the many things about Lloyd that was overlooked by most of society was that he's way smarter than he seemed. It all quickly added up and he immediately put the puzzle pieces together.

"You're from Almaz, aren't you…?" Lloyd now understood why Iris was so concerned about the mechs.

The pink kunoichi's face paled and her violet eyes widened in shock. She was surprised he got all that without her telling him.

"W-what's it to you?" She turned away from him in a huff.

The green ninja wasn't deterred by his teammate's sudden reaction. He was bound to learn something new about the others as long as they were part of the Secret Ninja Force.

"Don't act so offended. We would've found out sooner or later." Lloyd said bluntly.

Iris would never admit it but Lloyd was right. She sighed in defeat and slumped down on the sofa. The green ninja followed suit next to her.

"Why are you so upset about Almaz? It's not like that'll change my opinion of you." Lloyd asked.

"It's not that. I can't say I miss Almaz. I don't have a lot of fond memories living there." The kunoichi of metal twiddled her fingers together.

Judging from Iris' melancholic demeanor, Lloyd can tell she probably didn't have the best life in Almaz and he knew how she felt. His life was far from peachy-keen and some of the ninja also have their own issues at home. One thing he learned from his friends was that he wasn't alone.

"We're not the only ones," The green ninja started, "Not everyone gets to have a happy childhood."

"True..." Iris fiddled with the crystal heart necklace hidden in her gi. Looking back in the early days, she was starting to wonder why she keeps wearing it. If memories serve her correctly, she was beginning to have doubts of the sentiments she associated with it. Her young, naive mind didn't notice it before but now, it was becoming clear to her. She didn't want to get rid of it either and the paradox made her more frustrated.

"It's time to resume training." Master Wu summoned his students to continue the pursuit of their true potential or whatever.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Lloyd asked the kunoichi of metal.

"As long as you don't tell anyone…" Iris mumbled.

The green ninja left his teammate to her devices. He never liked being nagged about his daddy issues and he was sure Iris would feel the same. It was still surprising they had something in common and he began to realize all the possibilities. Life can be one heck of a ride.

* * *

The one good thing about Lloyd eating lunch at the rooftop was that it allowed the rest of the ninja to discuss a certain upcoming event so they can surprise him.

"Lloyd's birthday is coming up. We should do something for him." Nya rallied the group to ponder over how to make it enjoyable for the soon-to-be birthday boy.

"I'll just get him a gift card." The laid-back Cole obviously went for a simple gift.

"I personally think making a present instead of buying one will make it better." Jay responded, already thinking of some nifty invention to make for the green ninja's birthday.

"Geez, what happened to 'it's the thought that counts'? This shouldn't be a contest." Iris scoffed.

"Well too bad cuz' I'm already working on a present so awesome it'll make the rest of yours look like cat shit!" Kai bragged.

"Yeah. Like that's gonna be better than the autographed selfies you sent for the last three years." The kunoichi of water was quick to see through her brother's boast.

"Maybe we can call his mom and find out what he'd like." Heather suggested.

"But that's gonna take away the surprise." Aria complained.

"And don't forget the most important thing of all is cake." Luna added.

"I will not mind baking a birthday cake." Zane volunteered to make the centerpiece of every birthday feast and some of their teammates noticed how Cole's normally relaxed eyes lit up at the prospect.

"Wait! I remember Uncle offering to invite Lloyd for dinner when we first met outside of school!" The pink kunoichi exclaimed.

"I know Karloff's a big guy and all but do you think he can make so much food by himself?" Kai asked.

"And knowing Lloyd, he usually hates going out unless it's for something very important." Nya added.

"But his birthday _is_ important." The lightning ninja quipped.

"We should let Lloyd decide what he wants for his birthday," Zane reminded everyone who mattered most for the big day, "Only he knows what he really wants."

The whole group suddenly had a brief flashback montage of Lloyd whining about his daddy issues. It should've been obvious what he truly wants and there's no way they can make that happen.

To sum it all up, Lloyd better lower his expectations.

* * *

The Charbonneau mansion may be a fine example of the architectural beauty only found in the upper class society of Ninjago but inside, it's anything but.

"Cole, you'll never be successful if you keep allowing yourself to be tarnished by those hooligans." Lou berated his son as always. Cole tuned out his father's criticisms as always since arguments were a daily thing in the household and no, he isn't making it up.

"You know some of those so-called 'hooligans' are your fans." Cole talked back. He wasn't scared of his father. He's been dealt with all kinds of punishments so he can handle this.

"Watch your mouth," Lou raised his hand to silence him, "You are a Charbonneau. Those lowlifes you try to affiliate with will never be good enough for you. I should've sent you to the Marty Oppenheimer Private School. Then you wouldn't have been exposed to such crude drivel."

"Then what's stopping you?"

Lou was tempted to say the things he wanted to tell his son for so many years but this still wasn't the right time.

"Cole, you must carry on the family name. It is your destiny."

"I don't want my life to be decided by anyone else! I want to live my own life how I want!"

"You're still too inexperienced and unruly to go out on your own. It's best for you to uphold the family line and maintain the Charbonneau way of life."

"But I don't want to be a barbershop dancer! I'll never be like you!"

"This isn't just about music! It's also for your own safety!" Lou got up from his chair to look at his son right in the eye.

"Since when did you care about my safety!?" Cole raised his voice at his father before but never to this extent. His question echoed across the spacious living room, followed by a tense silent that hung over the pair who did nothing but stare.

"Cole Charbonneau..." Lou never called his son by his full name unless it was something serious. The black ninja coolly waited for him to explode...

"I don't think I can bear to look at you for the rest of the night." The dancer sank back into his seat and covered his face with his hand. His voice when he said that left the normally stubborn Cole unnerved. Usually, Lou would maintain his usual uppity tone and his emotions can be read simply by hearing his voice but the way he talked was like the quiet calm before the storm. There were no emotions in the way he spoke but the earth ninja can tell otherwise. He never saw his father like this before, not that it mattered. He also wanted didn't even want to look at him either and the old dancer didn't even seem aware of his surroundings anymore. The frustrated teen took it as permission to head straight for his room and lock the double doors.

Now that he was as safe as he can get in his personal sanctuary, Cole blasted his radio at full volume, not giving a damn about his father, not even after what just happened.

'How dare he say something like that after everything he's done?' The earth ninja fumed atop his bed and stared at the sheer cloth of the canopy hanging over him.

If his father really cared about his safety, he would've made more effort to keep him away from those 'ruffians' but that would only make Cole resent him even more. There's no way they'll ever get along and be a nice and healthy family. It's just hopeless.

Cole turned towards the large windows that invited the soft moonlight into his sanctuary. Each frame dividing the windowpane looked more like the metal bars of a prison cell. Outside, he would be able to live his own life instead of being a mere shadow of his father.

'I could always...' The earth ninja thought of the possibility. The idea of finally being independent and free was even more tempting than ever. Outside, no one can tell him what to do or how to be.

'Nah. Too much trouble.' He his father would call the police and make a big deal out of it would only cause more problems than one day of freedom will be worth. He also didn't want the ninja to worry and they don't deserve to be dragged into his family drama.

He only has a couple more years of this then he'll be able to take control of his life, leave this hellhole and so-called father who never truly cared for him behind, and never look back.

* * *

Kai and Aria's trips around the city have become something of a weekend ritual for them. They would seek every street and corner of Ninjago City, hoping to find something that may attract their attention. Even if they don't find anything, they still found it better to do it as a pair.

"So which place should we check out?" Aria met up with Kai at the city center.

"Anywhere but the boat market is fine." The fire ninja replied.

"Why not?"

"I just don't feel like it."

"That doesn't explain anything!" The spiky-haired ninja's sudden refusal to go to the boat market only spurred the kunoichi of wind all the more to go there.

"I don't have to if I don't want to!" The hot-blooded young man crossed his arms like a spoiled child. It was starting to get ridiculous, even for the capricious girl.

"If you're not going, then I will!" Aria marched in the direction of the boat market.

Kai refused to move, not wanting to let the orange kunoichi win. He kept his sight on the path towards the park for several minutes until he was sure he won the argument only to see that Aria was gone. It didn't take a second to figure out where she had gone.

'That idiot! What was she thinking?' Kai ran towards the boat market without a second thought.

It wasn't long before the fire ninja reached his destination. He felt sick to his stomach being in the one place he didn't want to be. More importantly, he had to find Aria before she gets in trouble. Thanks to all the ninja training, he was surprisingly nimble and leaped on each boat onto the next in a flash and the people steering them were none the wiser. He was so focused on finding the kunoichi of wind that he forgot he was mere inches away from the surface of the water every now and then.

'Aria, where are you!?' The fire ninja felt his heart beat faster with each passing second as he searched high and low for her.

After minutes of searching, he finally found her at the western docks checking out a tiny stand selling fruits. He didn't waste a second to reach the orange kunoichi and give her a piece of his mind.

"Kai!? What are you -" Aria was surprised he caught up so quickly but...

"Aria! Don't do anything like that again!" Kai wailed on her before she could finish.

The olive-skinned girl was surprised by Kai's outburst at that moment. He sounded just like a worried parent scolding their wayward child. Almost like he cared.

"You… You didn't have to follow me here!" She retorted to hide her astonishment.

"Who else is gonna make sure you don't do anything stupid!? You already did it once!"

"You know… you never answered my question earlier."

"Why should I tell you after pulling that crap?"

"You were the one acting like a brat! You're not the only one who gets to decide where to go!"

"I just don't like being stuck in any situation that'll force me to swim a lot besides PE."

"Why not?"

Kai mumbled something but it was so quiet Aria couldn't quite hear him.

"What?" She nagged him to speak up.

"I'm not good at swimming! Happy!?" The red ninja exploded in rage.

"What's so bad about it? No one can be good at everything."

"At least I don't go running around and getting into trouble!"

"Fine. You got me there."

The pair didn't speak for a minute until the olive-skinned girl broke the silence.

"Actually, I'll let you decide where to go today," She offered, "I already dragged you into this mess. The least I can do is make it even."

"Really? Cuz' there's this one place..." Kai's lips curled into an insidious grin.

Now Aria was starting to regret wandering off and getting herself into this situation.

Wherever Kai wanted to go to… Some horrors are best left untold...

* * *

Zane and Jay were out on patrol, looking for signs of Garmadon and the Shark Army. Their search had gone cold and the blue ninja was growing bored. Even if it's merely the brief calm before the storm, he didn't want to let such precious time slip from his grasp.

"Well that was a waste of time." Jay complained on the way back to their base.

Zane didn't move any part of his body save for his 'foot wheels' that provided mobility when he didn't want to move his legs. Out of the blue, he stopped and with Jay walking ahead, he wasn't aware of the white ninja stalling for a few moments. The human began to sense something wasn't right and turned around only to see the nindroid standing quite a distance away from him.

"What now?" The blue ninja didn't like where this is going.

"I detect unlawful activity three-quarters of a mile from our current location." Zane's glowing ice blue eyes narrowed and his straight eyebrows lowered as his internal alarms set off.

"Oh no, Zane. Please no." Jay begged him to let it slide.

"It is our duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"But I wanna go home!"

The lightning ninja's pleas fell on deaf ears and the ice ninja headed straight to the source of whatever conflict he somehow sensed. Jay had no choice but to follow him. It wasn't long before they reached the plaza and there was a crowd preventing them from seeing what was going on. Several stores were apparently vandalized as proven by all the broken glass and overturned objects. Some gang members ran out the buildings keeping everyone at bay with weapons. It looked like they'll get away with their crimes unless there were two ninja to say something about that.

"I cannot allow you to continue a life of crime." The ice ninja's voice was as cold as his element as he emerged from the crowd.

"Y-yeah! What he said!" The blue ninja stumbled to join his teammate.

Jay swung his kusarigama around a few gang members but they easily slipped through the chains. He then tried to get up close with the sickle but they evaded him again.

'Maybe Master Wu was right. We've gone soft.' The lightning ninja was embarrassed by his failure and was quickly taken down.

Meanwhile, Zane tried fending off the ruffians by hand to avoid risking fatal damage with his arrows. Being a nindroid, he didn't have to worry about being out of shape and had a much easier time than his human accomplice.

While Zane firmly kept to his morals, there's a reason these delinquents kept to the other side of the law. The leader pulled out a taser and ran towards the white ninja at full speed. Once they were close enough, they jabbed the taser up against the vigilante's torso.

Zane's bloodcurdling cries at that moment will haunt Jay for the rest of his life. The white ninja fell in a heap with smoke billowing from his body. The civilians were disturbed by the fumes coming out of the ninja they believed to be human.

The gang ran off simply so they won't get caught and left the ninja to deal with the fallout.

"Shit!" Jay completely forgot about the gang rushed to Zane's side. The nindroid's body was convulsing and his glowing optics kept flickering.

"Say something, dammit!" The lightning ninja urged him to speak.

Zane tried to speak but a cacophony of hideous distortions came out of his mouth and he lost control of his violently convulsing body, scaring the citizens even more. Jay knew this was serious and he had to get him fixed now. He slung the white ninja's arm over his shoulders and helped him journey back to the warehouse, not caring about the people surrounding them. If there's one thing Jay had to make up for his lack of social skills, it was his extensive knowledge of any kind of machine. He did help Lloyd build the mechs after all and with his experience, he knew what to do to fix him.

* * *

The rest of the ninja were startled when Jay burst into their lair with a twitching nindroid.

"Oh my god! Zane!" Heather rushed to Zane's side but the blue ninja quickly shooed her off. In fact, he seemed oblivious to everyone and everything around him and rushed towards the table where Lloyd usually worked for the mechs and laid the android down upon it.

"I'm gonna have to check your power source and the circuits in your torso." The lightning ninja spoke with a seriousness the others never heard before.

Jay helped Zane carefully take off his gi, exposing his slender body. The humanoid obediently opened his abdominal panel, exposing a medley of switches and wires. Right where his heart would be if Zane were human was a large component separated into six units glowing in the same icy blue as his eyes. A slightly cool aura emanated from it and the lightning ninja could only guess it was his power source fueled by freon cells.

The other ninja can do little else but watch. They've never seen this side of Jay before and it was a bit strange. They were still concerned for Zane but the blue ninja appeared confident for once as he toiled away. One of the units flickered and Jay took a closer look at it. Some wires were disconnected and a few chips were slightly out of place, likely from the trauma of that brawl. He grabbed some pliers and screwdrivers to began reconnecting the intricate parts back to their rightful place. Once that was said and done, Jay inspected the freon cell level. The fuel was at sixty-eight percent so that taser did quite a number on the nindroid but he'll be fine for the rest of the day as long as he's careful. Besides that, the rest of Zane's internal systems looked undamaged.

"Let me see your voice box." Jay ordered.

The white ninja obediently peeled away the artificial skin of his neck, exposing even more circuits and wires. Some of them were singed but that kind of damage wasn't something the young inventor never fixed before. He mended the voice box with meticulous handiwork. Everyone else watched in awe and shock by how the normally timid blue ninja looked so serious and calculated while fixing Zane. He was completely focused on a task only professionals could do.

The lengthy time that felt like mere minutes for Jay was over. He did what he could and can only hope for the best. Zane rose upright and the convulsions seemed to have gone away.

"Zane, can you face towards me?" Jay wanted to test some things out before giving him the all-clear.

The nindroid turned in the direction of the lightning ninja's voice. His eyes regained their telltale glow, he blinked unevenly, and then he corrected his optical motions so he blinked normally again.

"Can you speak?" Jay tried getting him to talk.

"...Jay…?" Zane's voice was still garbled but more cohesive.

"Keep talking."

"...Trouble… Pain… Remember..." As the nindroid uttered each word, his voice gradually cleared up, "I… remember now..." His voice was back to normal, echo and all.

"How did you do all that so easily?" Iris asked the blue ninja.

"When your family is a bunch of inventors, fixing machines is an everyday sort of thing." He answered with a flustered blush.

"But what made him that way?" Lloyd finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"WeweresupposedtogobackbutZanespottedagangandwetriedtostopthemuntiloneoftheguysgrabbedataserandfreakinzappedhim!" Jay went back to his easily nervous self and rambled on.

"Slow down Speedy." Cole quipped.

"Long story short... Zane got tased." He braced himself for the chaos to follow...

The ninja belted out question after question, almost overwhelming the shy guy until…

"Enough!" A robotic echo accompanied the loud shout, intimidating everyone.

The ninja turned to see Zane now standing up with a stern expression which quickly softened once he laid eyes on Jay.

"Jay, I am sorry for causing trouble yet you were there for me in my time of need," The nindroid said as he approached him, "For that, I am so grateful… Thank you."

"Uh… happy to be of service…?" Jay was even more flustered but was relieved Zane was okay.

Master Wu was content watching two of his students reinforce their friendship. Their bond will be put to the test one day but he was confident they'll make it…

* * *

 **Looks like some big stuff is gonna happen soon but I probably jinxed it by saying it.**

 **So tell me what you think & review!**


	101. Can't Fight Fate

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Wow. I can't believe it. This story now has 100 chapters yet there's more to come. Obviously, this chapter's important with hints of the movie events and other big stuff. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 100: Can't Fight Fate

Cole, Zane, and Jay found time to hang out after school before their usual training sessions. As always, the lightning ninja wanted to check out the latest gadgets Ninjago has to offer. Meanwhile, Cole didn't mind seeing what's new on lTunes while Zane seemed fixated by the virtual reality games.

"So what you did back there for Zane," Cole looked back on what Jay did for the ice ninja, "It was kind of amazing. We're just a bunch of teens yet you were able to do something only a professional can do. You certainly have talent."

The blue ninja's face turned cherry red, still flustered by all the attention, even if it's positive.

"Once again, I apologize for making you all worry," Zane still felt bad for making the others panic that day, "It was my fault for forcing you to follow my protocol."

"You don't have to keep apologizing. You're here and that's what matters." The shy ninja attempted to

alleviate the nindroid's lingering guilt.

"Cole, why do you appear upset?" The nindroid noticed the black ninja's suddenly forlorn expression. He was always a quiet fellow but the silence didn't feel right.

"Come on, Cole. Say something." The blue ninja also goaded him to speak up.

Cole didn't budge for several moments. He knew exactly how he felt, he just can't find the right words. He didn't want to make his friends worry either otherwise he'll be forced to remain silent forever.

"I am grateful that Zane's alive and Jay was able to help. It's just that I feel like I failed somehow." The black ninja sighed.

"You weren't there. You couldn't help it," The lightning ninja said, "Nobody can know what Garmadon is planning until something happens so who knows when and where a criminal strikes next?"

"I could've if I came up with some sort of strategy. If that gang did something worse to Zane and you won't be able to fix it, I..." The earth ninja didn't even want to think of the possibility.

"Cole..." Zane gently grasped the earth ninja's shoulder, prompting the strong teen to grab hold of his wrist as if he intended to pry it away yet he didn't.

"I care about your safety. I care about all of you." Cole gazed at Zane and Jay. He no longer cared if he looked sappy, what the world thinks of him doesn't matter anymore.

For once, Zane didn't know how to process all of this. He was programmed to protect humans and it was only until recently that he became aware of how others feel about his actions. He didn't want to make the other ninja fear for him but he still wanted to protect them.

Is there any way he can help the ninja without making them worry?

"I also care for the safety of my friends. That is why I also want to protect you." The white ninja said.

"We're all important to each other. We're already a team so we all have to look out for one another." The lightning ninja added.

"But what if we can't? What would happen if Zane got even more messed up or any of you get a really serious injury like a broken bone or getting stabbed? I don't want any of that to happen to you guys." The black ninja still can't get over what happened.

"Don't you think you're looking too much into this?" Jay was starting to get disturbed by Cole's sudden anxiety. He was always a cool and collected kind of guy and seeing him like was almost scary.

"Please do not worry. It is not good for your health." Zane detected a rise in Cole's heart pressure.

"Sorry… It's not your fault..." The black ninja settled down, "Like Jay said, you're all important to me. I don't want anything like that to happen again.

"Who knows? Nobody can predict the future… maybe unless you're Master Wu." The blue ninja spoke.

"It will do you no good to constantly worry. Master Wu also told us that an important part of living is not knowing what the future holds." The white ninja continued his effort to ease Cole's mind.

"Then why does he do all that prophetic talk?" Jay pointed out.

"That doesn't matter now. What's important to me is that you're all here and that I care for you." The black ninja concluded.

The ninja knew they must work together and be there for each other if they don't want those terrible events to happen all over again. One day, it will be them who will have to break the cycle.

* * *

While Lloyd usually preferred to eat alone, he didn't mind having company once in a while. The Hinata siblings sat by him as they ate lunch together. While the green ninja was distracted by his daydreams of a life with both parents, Kai and Nya decided that now is the right time to ask him what he'd like for his big day.

"You know what's a good way to spend lunchtime?" Kai started, "Coming up with the perfect gift for a certain someone's birthday..."

"If you're gonna get me another autographed selfie, think harder." Lloyd was quick to shut him down. The red ninja was left mortified and his sister's snickers wasn't helping any bit.

"What would _you_ like for your birthday?" Nya asked.

The green ninja shifted his matching eyes to the horizon facing the direction of the sea. Knowing what lies ahead, the Hinata siblings braced themselves for the answer.

"I don't think I'll ever get what I want -"

"Oh my freakin' god! Enough with the typical cliché teen angst!" Kai's exasperation over the outcast's constant bitching and moaning about his life and began ranting in an exaggeratedly whiny voice, "Ooh! I'm always sad cuz' of family drama! Ooh! The world is over cuz' I'm grounded from my phone! Ooh! There's no more pumpkin spice lattes so I guess I'll starve to death! Ooh! I -"

"Okay! We get it!" Nya ended his tirade before it can get out of hand.

'I don't sound like that... do I…?' Lloyd felt a little offended by the fire ninja's impression of him.

Kai was now struggling to come up with a different gift. He knew Lloyd still maintained a childish love of toys and candy but none of that will outshine an autographed selfie from yours truly. Thinking up of some other gift was much harder than it sounds.

"So what _do_ you want?" The silver kunoichi asked.

"You know what? I don't really care. As long as I don't have to go out and be judged by anyone, I don't give a damn." Lloyd brushed off the siblings' concerns over presents and a party he won't remember in five years.

"Whatever. It's your special day so who are we to tell you what to do?" The red ninja shrugged.

Lloyd resumed gazing towards the sea. He often got some nice things for his birthday but nothing can fill the hole in his heart except for maybe the one person he didn't want to see. No matter how great the presents are or how much cake and candy he gets, it's always there. He can't have everything he wants but that didn't stop him from doing so.

The sooner his birthday comes, the sooner he can get this over with.

* * *

Garmadon sat in his office stewing over his everlasting hatred for the ninja. He heard what happened to the white ninja and it filled him with even more rage at his incompetent zealots. A small-time gang was able to take down those pesky ninja yet his underlings who go through a daily routine of grueling training can't even give them a hard time. He checked the cameras strewn around his volcano lair and saw his minions continuing their rigorous regime. Looks like there won't be any sacrifices to appease the mighty volcano for now.

The dark lord pointed his blood red eyes at the calendar. There was a certain day coming up. One that was ingrained into his psyche forever.

As far as Garmadon knows, he wanted nothing to do with him. It shouldn't surprise him since he was never around, though not entirely by choice. But there's the small chance he wasn't happy having no father figure in his life. It could take ages to undo all the brainwashing done to him but he was never one to give up so easily. If it will take years, so be it. Even he was aware of his stubbornness and that was just a part of who he is. If anyone gives a rat's ass about it, too bad.

The four-armed warlord whipped out his phone and try to reach out to that person.

* * *

Lloyd ignored the calls that just keep coming. He had memorized that number by now no thanks to all the nonstop calls and voice messages.

"I know you are there," The baritone voice of the dark lord spoke once his call was sent to voice mail, "You can't hide forever. I _will_ find you."

The message was over but it won't be long before Garmadon tries again. The green ninja was getting annoyed at all the spam but didn't want to let the dark lord think he wins by replying. There was also one detail that's been nagging him.

'He doesn't even call me by my name...' Lloyd resented the dark lord even more.

And that part of him he hated began to surface from the deepest parts of his already skewed psyche. He wanted his father to be there for his birthday, even if he hates him with every fiber of his being.

'So why am I not answering?' The green ninja was all too aware of the twisted irony.

He tried to imagine what it would be like to have Garmadon at his birthday party. It wouldn't make a difference with attendance since almost nobody comes to his birthday parties, even with promises of extra cake and lavish goody bags. He would also get a lot of unwanted attention if people saw the dark lord hanging out with someone they already hate. Even if he wasn't an evil warmonger, Garmadon will still have the world's eyes on him with his blood red eyes, pitch black flesh, and four arms. His sinister appearance reminded Lloyd of his own physical anomalies.

Lloyd lifted the hem of his shirt to examine the black 'moles' that's been appearing more and more as his birthday drew near. In fact, some of the first spots looked a little bigger than they were when they first appeared. He didn't bother calling a doctor or telling his mom. It's not worth the attention and it would all be considered 'benign'. He had a bad feeling about all this and it's not just for his looks.

'At this rate, I'm gonna look like a damn cow.' His eyes suddenly stung, averting his sight from the dark spots. The pain didn't happen often at first but nowadays, it's becoming a regular occurrence. He had a bad feeling what it could be implying. Nothing was wrong with his eyesight or his eye color but it's a matter of time before something big happens.

And he may be right in more ways than one...

* * *

Heather and Aria still hang out together. They've been friends for a long time so being kunoichi made little difference. They strolled through the park while indulging in high school gossip.

"...and then I heard Violet coming in so I hid back in the stall." Heather told Aria of her near run-in with Ninjago High's queen bee.

"And then what happened?" Her olive-skinned friend pressed her to continue.

"I peeked through the gaps and saw her in front of the mirror and…"

"What? What did she do? Does something happen to her?"

By now, Heather was getting annoyed by Aria's interruptions. She can't tell her tale if she keeps piping in every couple of seconds.

"Every time you interrupt, Cartoon Platoon cancels another show besides Go Teen Brigade." The teal kunoichi deadpanned, finally getting the capricious girl to shut up.

"As I was saying, I saw Violet in front of the mirror and you remember when she claimed she was sick and that was why she had that face mask?" The now silent kunoichi of wind nodded.

"Well, there was a good reason all those coughs sounded so fake. She took off her mask but she was right in front of the mirror so I couldn't see it at first. Then she turned at an angle and I saw her lips." And yet, another dramatic pause. Heather knew how to the tools of good storytelling unlike a strange force revealing the ninja's lives to an audience from another universe.

"Her lips were _covered_ in cold sores." She finally revealed Violet's dirty, dirty secret.

"No…!" The orange kunoichi let out an exaggerated gasp.

"Yessss…." The kunoichi of nature responded with a hushed voice to match her friend's melodrama.

Knowing one of the deepest darkest secrets of one of the meanest girls in Ninjago High was too good to be true. The opportunity to knock her down a peg was in their hands and she had it coming.

"Do you think I should tell the rest of the school?" Heather was tempted to throw karma at Violet.

Aria closed her eyes to ponder for several moments until...

"Nah!" She dismissed the chance to put the bitch in her place.

"Why not?" The freckled girl was surprised by her friend's refusal to humiliate Violet, "This is the same person who said you'll never amount to anything and will end up working for her! Are you just gonna let her get away with that!?"

"Face it, almost everybody hates her but she's clearly one of those bitches who peak in high school. I think waiting to see her throw her life down the drain will be worth it." The kunoichi of wind explained her sudden act of 'mercy'.

The teal kunoichi considered the possibility. Violet always bragged that her looks and popularity are all she needed to get far in life but aging is inevitable and most of the students and even staff can't stand her. As far as she knew, the queen bee didn't seem to have any goals after school.

"Good point." She concluded.

"What do you think will happen to her after high school?" Aria firmly believed Violet will ruin her life once high school is over but that doesn't mean she knows how it'll go downhill for her.

"She did say she'll go to a party school so there's that. Also, I bet she's gonna have kids right after she leaves, each with a different father of course." Heather voiced her beliefs.

"If she does, I feel more bad for the kids. And she's gonna run an illegal lab in her basement. Or if she's not into that sort of stuff, she'd be working the graveyard shift at some cheap fast food joint."

"I don't think any place would want to employ her."

All of a sudden, a deep gurgle reverberated from Heather's belly.

"Seems like all that trash talk about Violet can build up an appetite." The kunoichi of nature let out a flustered chortle.

"Where do you wanna eat?" The kunoichi of wind asked.

"Anywhere is fine."

"Let's see if we can find that new cheese corn dog stand near the beach. I wanna try it."

"Sounds good to me."

The two girls headed off but they weren't done with their gossip about Ninjago High's resident bitch.

"Do you still have any more of stories about Violet?" Aria asked.

"Oh yeah!" Heather was all too willing to continue trash talking the mean girl.

"Good cuz' let me tell you about my run-in with her last week..."

See kids, it's okay to talk shit about someone behind their backs if they're a horrible person.

* * *

The crew Karloff worked with finished repairs for the assembly of shops damaged by the Volk Titan's gargantuan laser cannon. He can finally enjoy his well-earned break and maybe get a treat for Iris after all this. She's been kinda down lately and with that physics exam coming soon, she'll also need a break from all the workload.

Before the burly guy can settle down, his phone vibrated. He instincts had him check the caller and an all too familiar number popped up. It wasn't often that _she_ called, not that he enjoyed it any bit. If he ignored it, she'll give him all sorts of hell and today, he decided it just isn't worth it.

"Hello?" Karloff decided to have this conversation in their native language. Just getting a text from her created a lot of tension and it's probably best if his co-workers don't understand him.

"Haven't heard you in a while." Her voice reeked of self-importance.

"What do you want?" He spoke back with a voice colder than ice.

"How is she doing?"

"Why are you asking this now?"

"If it's really important to you, than you should've called her and you know how she feels."

"So?"

"Is this really how you're going to be?"

"Who cares how I am? Tell me what she's up to! She better not disobey you!"

"If she doesn't want me to reveal anything, then I won't go against her wishes."

"You're not supposed to take sides!"

"I would've expected better from you but I guess nothing surprises me anymore."

"What are you implying?"

"After everything we've been through and after seeing what Almaz got itself into, you have no right to behave like this. You need to set a better example for her."

"Like you were any better! You always bragged about yourself. You were always the immature one."

"We were young but not anymore. We've both changed though it's not my place to believe if it's been for better or worse in your case."

"There you go again with your pointless lectures. I knew that group did something to you. Now you do nothing but talk and talk about a bunch of philosophical crap. You don't know what I've been through when you left."

"It's not all about you. Our family worked so hard to get us here. You shouldn't take them for granted."

"At least I'm not the one who abandoned them for the city!"

"I don't see the point in trying to talk any sense into you."

"What -"

"Goodbye." Karloff abruptly ended the call without waiting for another retort.

Karloff's whole day was ruined. He didn't care that his co-workers were staring at him after having to hear him talk like a rabid alien. It saddened him seeing how _she_ changed over the years. He saw what she already tried to do to Iris and he didn't want the poor girl to live like that. He decided it's probably best to not tell his niece of this conversation.

Though it won't do any good delaying that date...

* * *

Luna was in the middle of taking Lorelei for her afternoon walk when she saw an unexpected surprise.

"Varjo? What are you doing here?" The dog lover was pleasantly surprised to see the scruffy critter so far from the ninja stronghold. Meanwhile Lorelei wasn't sure how to react to seeing another dog. She repeatedly reared up on her hind legs, making all sorts of obnoxious guttural noises, and pretty much making a scene. Luna was embarrassed by all the people staring at her and her crazy dog. Luckily, she knew how to rein in her beloved pet.

"Shhh. Lorelei, be gentle." The kunoichi of sound stroked the German Shepherd's forehead, giving her some space and a chance to get to know the furry stranger.

Lorelei's ears were flat and her tail swayed to and fro while she sniffed this strange dog. Varjo reacted the same as she also acquainted herself with the other dog's scent. Meanwhile, the aspiring idol can't wrap her head around why Varjo wandered so far from the ninja's secret lair. Dogs have an innate way of sensing things humans can't and the thought of something happening began to nag Luna's mind.

'Did something happen in the warehouse…?' The purple kunoichi felt a dark pit in her stomach at the thought and headed towards the ninja lair without a second thought, realizing later that Varjo wasn't following her.

"Varjo?"

The stray dog seemed adamant in staying right where she stood. Amidst Luna's confusion, her own pet joined up with Varjo, pulling her owner along.

"Lorelei, what's gotten into you?"

For some reason, the German Shepherd also refused to budge and pulled against the leash, something she rarely done since her puppy days. Both dogs were focused on… _something…_ Their back fur stood on end and their lips quivered almost at a snarl. Luna searched for signs of anything weird or anyone suspicious but there was nothing. It could be one those things dogs can hear and smell that primitive human senses can't perceive.

Suddenly Luna heard something. It was very quiet and it seemed like only she and the dogs could hear it. It was like a very low rumble similar to the eerie serenity before an earthquake. The spooky noises left as suddenly and mysteriously as they came. The dogs were still tense and it took several minutes for them to eventually calm down. As for Luna, the already timid kunoichi was terrified to the core for reasons she can't explain.

Maybe that was why Varjo came all the way here. Whatever was making that noise didn't seem to be of this world and was going to do something and that could explain the strange feelings she had right before this.

Something big is coming…

* * *

 **Yes. There's still many more secrets to be revealed. In a couple of chapters, (hopefully) we'll get to the movie events & more. Please review.**


	102. That Strange Feeling

**Discovering Destiny**

 **It's happened again folks. This chapter will not have Lloyd in it though he'll be talked about. Besides that, we'll get a closer look on some of the relationships between the ninja & hints of what the future may hold for Iris and why Almaz will be important later. Thank you so much for sticking with me & please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 101: That Strange Feeling

Heather took one last inspection of the flowers in Blossoming Memories before she's done for the day. She thought about making a bouquet for Lloyd's birthday but he doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd appreciate it. She didn't know what to get him or if she should do it at all. He was almost always grumpy, even on a good day though she can't blame him knowing his family life. Thought it gets pretty annoying at times.

She grabbed her things and glanced at the display window where she experienced a bit of deja vu.

Zane peered at the flowers from the other side with his 'signature' unnatural smile, just like when they first met outside of school. She quickly regained an even heart pace and went out to greet him.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." The teal kunoichi acknowledged the small chance of meeting the ice ninja at this time.

"Oh, are your suffering pain in your eyes?" The nindroid's blissful face switched to one of concern.

"Nope." Heather chuckled at Zane's social awkwardness "Also, aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"There were fewer customers so I was allowed to leave early."

"Too bad there isn't much I plan to do today. What about you?"

"As long as we are together, I am content."

"But standing around is really boring. We could go somewhere we haven't gone before, or go back to the forest with the Northern Grace."

"Is that what you want to do?"

"Why are asking me all of a sudden?"

"I made no reference to the Northern Grace yet you spoke of it."

Heather was flustered at how obvious her love of flowers can be but Zane was a nindroid. He's bound to pick up something about someone humans may have a tough time figuring out.

'Don't say that! Zane is his own person, regardless if he's man or machine!'

"Heather, are you unwell?" The android noticed the negative changes in the human's expression.

"It's nothing. Let's go."

* * *

The forest outside Ninjago City was always tranquil in contrast to the high-speed urban life. Zane and Heather cherished their peaceful little haunt. The small empty patch of grass remained untouched and the Northern Grace was still there, lovely as ever. Zane observed Heather tending to it with plenty of love and care as if it's a living being.

'Of course it is alive,' The nindroid corrected himself, 'It is an organic being. Nothing like...'

"Do you want to go somewhere else? I'm sure just standing there is making you bored." The kunoichi of nature observed the humanoid and how he did nothing but stare.

"Thank you for your concern, but I am well." Zane was as polite as ever, even in a leisurely moment.

"You can tell me everything. If you don't wanna be here, we can go back. It's fine."

"It is not the activity itself I like. No matter what we do, I like spending time with my friends. But..."

"But what?"

"With you… I feel… different..."

"How so?"

"It is not by any means a negative thing. I simply do not know what is causing this difference."

"No one can know everything."

"But I am just a machine. A machine should know everything. _I_ should know everything… but I am not. And I am a person, not a mere construct following its programming. At least that is what I want to be. I do not wish to be just a machine, yet I feel that I need to know everything. Knowing everything from the beginning… is not human. I… am not human. I cannot deny that."

"Zane, listen to me. You may not be a human being but you are your own person. You chose to attend Ninjago High when you could have all that knowledge programmed into your head. You also chose to be a ninja and have done so many things a 'mere machine' can't. There is no man _or_ machine that will be like you because you are you. I like you the way you are. We all do."

"There's something I'm also curious about..." Heather said.

"What is it?"

"How is spending time with me different from the rest?"

And Zane felt it again. He still didn't know what it is but he'll do his best to try and explain it.

"With you, I feel… I feel like I am truly accepted. I know the other ninja accept me but I only have this feeling with you. And it makes me want to always be with you, and for the state of mind I have in your presence to stay that way. It is also not just about my feelings." Just hearing his voice alone convinced Heather that he was being earnest. The kunoichi of nature felt her face heat up for reasons she can't explain but let the nindroid continue.

"I also want for you to feel happy and content when we are together. The happiness I feel… I want you to feel it too. I want to _make_ you feel that way."

"I… I didn't know you felt that way…"

"What do you feel?"

"I also like being with you. I really meant what I said back there. You're such a sweet guy and you keep going out of your way to help anyone in need. I don't care if it's just your programming or not, you're one of the kindest people I ever met and I cherish the times we share together. Just seeing you makes me feel… I don't know what I'm feeling either… All I know is that it's there and I don't want it to end. It's like… we..."

Zane and Heather were oblivious to the shrinking distance between them. They could almost feel each other's breaths on their faces. The ice ninja got a clear look at the light freckles on Heather's face and the kunoichi of nature can see the glow of Zane's optics despite the broad daylight.

The sound of the leaves rustling with the winds that blew shook the pair out of their reverie. Realizing how close they were, they instinctively backed away, surprised by their proximity to one another. They never did that with anyone before, not even with their own friends and family.

"Was I being too intrusive?" Zane asked.

"N-not at all…!" Heather's face was now red as a tomato.

An awkward silence loomed over them for many moments

"I should head home. Mom and Dad might get worried..." Heather broke eye contact, mostly to ease the strange flutters in her chest.

"I too must return to my father. I look forward to seeing you later today." Zane parted ways with her.

"Me too."

Neither of them still have no idea what these feelings they have for each other were. It wasn't really a bad thing. It did make them feel warm inside though things won't be so uncomplicated if they can just figure out what it is...

* * *

It wasn't often that Master Wu and Koko spoke to each other but when the chance occurs, they want to make the most of it.

"I can't believe it," Koko sighed over a cup of green tea, "It's almost Lloyd's birthday. My precious little boy is growing up. It feels like yesterday when he came into my life… _Our_ lives..."

"The flow of time is different for everyone," Master Wu spoke after downing his drink, "What feels like a long time may only feel like a moment for another."

"I wonder how it must've felt for him..."

"I'm sure he was also happy. I never saw him behave the way he did when Lloyd was born."

"I'm also worried that leaving him may not have been the right choice. Lloyd has no true father figure in his life and it's because of me. I was the one who chose to leave him. We've both suffered for it but it should be me alone who should pay for the consequences."

"People tend to judge others by how little they know of them."

"But if Garmadon was in his life, he might end up like him and will face even more prejudice. Whether or not he's there, I don't think Lloyd will be happy..."

"One's life isn't decided by their parents' occupations. Everyone is their own person."

"That's why I'm starting to think I was wrong. What if Lloyd wants to be like his father? I don't want to force him to be something he isn't and I know I'll love him no matter what he wants to do with his life. That's yet another choice I took away from him."

"We make mistakes so we can learn from them. I know you have and that is what's important."

"And I also got a lot of messages from him. Here, I'll show you." Koko took out her phone and scrolled through all the messages the dark lord had sent her over the last several days, "I'm sure it's related to Lloyd's birthday but I have my doubts."

"Garmadon was always so stubborn when it comes to his goals."

"We can't have everything we want, much less have it handed to us. That was a lesson I had to learn the hard way."

"Yeah. You and your brother were so different back then."

"I do not know if he also learned that lesson."

"Seeing the ninja remind me so much of the early days. I'm glad I was able to raise Lloyd in a peaceful time. I wonder what he thinks of the ninja..."

Master Wu considered telling his sister-in-law about her son's secret but it's not his place for that.

"When do you plan to tell him everything?" Koko somehow knew exactly what her brother-in-law was talking about.

"I don't know… He's still so young… I know he'll find out eventually but I want to wait until the time is right… I just don't know when that will be..."

"Lloyd still has a lot of growing up to do. He's the one who must pave the path he'll take."

"Would you still be proud of him if he chose to be something you don't want for him?"

Koko was tongue-tied. If there's one thing she didn't like about her brother-in-law, it's his way of being cryptic and speaking in riddles when he could just say it as it is and save all the trouble. She pondered over whether she should answer or not.

"It is up to Lloyd to discover himself and create his own destiny," Wu spoke as if understanding Koko's reluctance to say anything, "As long as you are there to love and guide him, I'm sure he'll grow into a fine young man. I have faith in both of you."

Koko still remained unsure of what the future may bring. At least she and Lloyd had someone to turn to when they're in need. That's one thing they should be grateful for.

* * *

With the music club's activities done for today, the members packed up to head home, including Luna and Cole.

"Are you busy today?" Cole asked his fellow club member and secret teammate just as she was ready to head home.

"No. Why do you ask?" Luna was surprised the quiet guy initiated a conversation with her.

"I just feel like having some company at the cake shop. Wanna come?" He offered.

"Sure. Let me text my parents first." Luna made sure her family knew she'll be running late.

Before they knew it, the music-loving pair were at the cafe eating cake to their hearts' content. While Cole blissfully munched on his fourth slice of cake, Luna was still on her first piece which she was more interested in poking with her fork rather than eating it. Things were so different between now and her first time eating cake with the earth ninja.

Luna remembered how overjoyed she was when she discovered this patch of common ground she and Cole shared but that spark of joy was gone. She couldn't feel anything at all besides the deliciousness typical of cakes.

"Are you gonna finish that?" The buff teen gestured towards her unfinished peach cake.

"Go ahead." The purple kunoichi pushed the plate towards him and he wasted no time helping himself to more sugary goodness.

She used to feel so giddy whenever Cole was around but now, there's nothing there. To her, he was no different than the rest of the guys at school and during training. The kunoichi of sound felt so lost. She thought people's feelings and emotions were supposed to grow as they spend more time together, not the other way around.

'Is there something wrong with me?' Luna thought to herself, 'Most people wouldn't go through this.'

It took only a second for the auburn-haired girl to realize something. She wasn't like most people. Not everyone is a secret vigilante brave (or stupid) enough to fight against the worst guy ever.

"Why aren't you eating any cake?" Cole _finally_ noticed there was something amiss with her, "If you're not gonna eat any cake, why are you here?"

"Um… It's mood swings… I guess..." The purple kunoichi sighed.

"If something's wrong, you can tell me."

Cole was as helpful as he's always been but something was stopping Luna from confiding in him. She became even more disturbed by these strange changes within her. It was all too much for her.

"I gotta go!" Luna abruptly got up and ran out of the cafe.

Cole wanted to go after her but was stopped by a server.

"Don't you dare think about that ol' dine and dash trick. Pay up." The waiter sternly reminded Cole of the empty plates and cakes he had eaten.

At least there's one good thing that comes out of hailing from the Charbonneau family…

Luna aimlessly ran as fast as possible. She didn't care where she was heading, she had to be as far as she can from that place. Her legs eventually gave in to exhaustion and she stopped by the corner of a random building where she curled up into a ball and rocked back and forth.

'Something's wrong with me. This isn't how feelings are supposed to work.' The kunoichi of sound was becoming frustrated by her own emotions. She didn't know who or where to turn to. Master Wu had a reputation as a wise sage but knowing him, he'll probably give a bunch of enigmatic spiel. She heard of therapists too but she didn't want to cause any trouble for her family. Her world was changing and there was nothing she, the kunoichi of sound, can do about it.

* * *

Jay watched Kai and Cole have a go at Fist-2-Face during the ninja's break and recorded it on his new lPhone. He was so engrossed with recording the match he was oblivious of a certain kunoichi of water sneaking up on the group from behind the couch.

"Come on, man!" Cole was surprisingly indignant at Kai beating him and posing a threat to his string of consecutive victories against him. His character's health bar was steadily whittling down and while he dealt several blows, Kai showed no mercy until he had just a tiny bit of health left.

"Finish him!" Those beautiful words by the game narrator were all the fiery ninja wanted to hear.

Kai was ready to unleash his patented Flaming Dragon's Fury combo and finally beat Cole...

Nya suddenly jumped up and let out a loud roar, throwing the guys off guard.

"Dammit Nya! You ruined my game!" Kai chewed out his sister for ruining his only chance to beat Cole.

Much to Kai's horror, Cole took advantage of Kai's distraction, got his controller, and curb-stomped the fire ninja's character. By the time Kai got his controller back, Cole's character dealt a mighty uppercut, winning the match and defend his winning streak.

"My game! My beautiful, beautiful game!" The red ninja ugly sobbed over his one chance being taken away once it was in his grasp.

"Oh stop it," Nya scoffed, "We already have the game at home!"

"But you always beat me and you keep shoving it in my face!"

"Hey! You can't have it all!"

"Calm down," Cole shoved the squabbling siblings apart, "Kai, we can have another round. Nya, leave him alone."

"Fine." The silver kunoichi rolled her eyes while the red ninja pouted.

Nya and Jay left the other ninja to have another gaming round while they get some quality time with no one interfering. The sun shone and its light reflected against the water's surface. The vast array of lights appeared to dance with the ripples fluctuating about. The silver kunoichi gazed at her element. It's amazing how something so simple can be far more beautiful than anything else in the world. As for Jay, he was caught up with a different kind of beauty.

Even by merely looking at her, one would know Nya was filled with confidence and possessed a strong will. She dressed up and did her hair however she wanted without a care of what others think. Still, no matter how she looked, Jay was always captivated by her willful charm.

'This is your chance! Don't blow it!' The blue ninja mustered up whatever courage he had and cleared his throat to get the cool girl's attention.

"It's really nice outside," Jay started shyly, "I'd like to take you for a ride on the Lightning Jet but… you know the ninja vow of secrecy… and there wouldn't be room for both of us anyway."

Nya looked at him weird and the lightning ninja did a double take over his choice of words.

'Did I really say _that_!?' The freckled boy was berated by his own brain, 'Now you got Nya thinking you think she's ugly!'

The kunoichi of water silently turned her gaze back to the ocean. As competitive as she is, she liked to kick back and just relax. She never liked having her life decided for her. Jay's offer was tempting but he had a point in them being discovered and not having much room for two. She didn't know why he got so upset about it. It's not like it'll affect the dynamics between them.

Jay really wanted to say something but he was at a loss of words. Being with such an amazing girl can do that to a person.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while..."

"I'm all ears."

"We've known each other for many years… and we're ninja now… We went through a lot together..." The blue ninja stuttered, still trying to come up with the right words to say. Just having Nya look at him made him even more nervous.

"And…?" Now Nya was even more confused by Jay's strange behavior.

"I thought about how fast time goes by… and we probably know a lot about each other… Wait a sec, I already said that..."

Jay really wanted to express how he felt but he just can't find the right words.

'Okay, Jay. This is now or never.' The blue ninja took a deep breath and finally spat it out.

"What's your favorite idea?" Jay blurted out.

"...What…?" Nya stared at Jay like he was a living lemon from some alternate universe.

Way to go, Jay. You grabbed defeat right out of victory's hand.

* * *

Iris opened her eyes and can't believe what she was seeing.

'Why am I in Almaz!?' The violet-eyed girl was confused. She was surrounded by the familiar buildings of the resurrected city from the grey apartment blocks to the onion dome towers of the churches and even the massive government building with its ornate facade.

"Uncle? Where are you?" Iris called out to her relative but got no response.

'I shouldn't be here. I should be...' The kunoichi of metal knew something wasn't right but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. She needed to get to the bottom of this.

She wandered all over the streets of Almaz, trying to find some clues as to why she's here. The usually bustling city was barren and even the trees looked dead.

"Is anybody there?" Iris called out and the only answer she received were her own echoes.

"Uncle? Master Wu? Anybody?"

There was still no answer and the pink kunoichi's heart started to beat faster. A sudden sense of dread hit her like a wrecking ball and she started running but it didn't feel right. Iris didn't want to run now but her body was acting on its own. She had no idea where she's going or what she's running from. All she can think about was leaving Almaz. The city gates were soon within sight and Iris was relieved for once. Just a little more and she'll get out of here...

Iris awoke with a startle in her room. The familiar sight of all the girly décor filled her with some sense of relief. She checked her phone to see the time which was at three forty in the morning. She should be grateful it's now the weekend.

"Just a dream..." The pink kunoichi sighed to herself.

Too bad she still isn't safe in the real world. One day, whatever it is that lurks in Almaz will catch up to her whether she likes it or not.

* * *

 **That's all for this chapter.**

 **So what is it about Almaz that Iris doesn't like?**

 **And as I said before, not all of the ninja/kunoichi relationships from 'Chosen by Destiny' will be romantic but have fun guessing which ones will and which ones won't. Finally, I'm considering getting to the movie events in the next chapter.**

 **Until then, I'll see you later & please review!**


	103. Unhappy Birthday

**Discovering Destiny**

 **This is it! We're finally at the movie events! That can mean one thing… we can now taste music and hear colors! But since this is only the beginning of the movie, there's still a lot more to go since I still have plenty of 'in-between' events planned out. Also, things won't be the exact same as the movie but please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 102: Unhappy Birthday

The Secret Ninja Force sans their leader were huddled up in their work on who knows what. Everyone else in school were having lunch so it was the perfect opportunity for them to go undetected. It was a few days before the big day where they'll reveal what they were working on but they need all the time they can get.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Luna pondered.

"This is a school so someone else is bound to discover this sooner or later." Cole added.

"Don't worry about it," Kai brushed off his teammates' reservations, "We're the only important people here. No one else will even notice."

"And we're not gonna be in school forever, thank god," Heather said, "So what's the point in building this thing?"

"You never know when something like this comes in handy." Jay answered while concentrating on his contribution to the ninja's latest project.

"Yeah. Like having this… thing… in a building we're only in for about eight hours of five days in a week will be useful." Nya grumbled, ignoring the cross expression on Kai's face.

While the group's opinions were divided, they all wanted to surprise Lloyd and knowing him…

This may not end well...

* * *

The Weekend Whip blasted on Lloyd's phone slash alarm clock. The groggy teen noticed an incoming video message that was live. Before checking who it was, the green-eyed youth answered.

"Who is this?" The all-too-familiar sight of the dark lord with his glowing red eyes, black skin, and four arms filled the screen. What was _not_ familiar were his volcano print pajamas.

"Why would you care..." Lloyd muttered just enough for the evil warlord to hear him.

"Don't pretend we haven't met -"

"We never did."

"Don't get smart with me," The dark lord growled, revealing his complete set of sharp teeth, "I know more about you than you realize. I will -"

The video abruptly ended, probably because of a bad connection.

'Well that's a great way to start my birthday...' The green ninja thought to himself and crawled out of bed to get ready.

Meanwhile in his volcano base, Garmadon went back to scheming in his personal lair.

It's been nearly sixteen years since he saw his child and he can't believe how much he has grown. He didn't seem to inherit any features from him, which left the warmonger disappointed, even though it shouldn't surprise him. He couldn't forget those green eyes as verdant as the forest and that crown of gold hair like each and every strand were made of pure sunlight.

Yet there was something about those eyes…

He felt like he had seen them before and no, it's not from when Lloyd was just a baby. He felt like he's seen those same eyes recently.

Could it be from Koko?

He did inherit some of _her_ facial features and he did have a few run-ins with her over the years. A new feeling hit his heart and it wasn't a pleasant one. He felt like he really missed out on something...

'No time thinking about the past. There's a lot of work to be done.'

The dark lord still can't let go of his evil ambitions. He will still do whatever it takes to defeat the pesky ninja, especially the one in green who keeps interfering with his plans.

'Hold up. Something's fishy...' Garmadon thought about his biggest threat.

'Green… Green… Green...' That color always popped up in his mind and something told him there was some sort of connection, like it represented something important, no, two things that were significant to him. In fact, they could be related. He can't quite place his clawed finger on it.

Then he realized something…

He hasn't been eating enough greens lately!

He'll have to eat healthy if he wants to live to see his plans become reality.

* * *

Lloyd got ready for the day and his nose was hit with the pleasant smell of a homemade breakfast. He followed the scent towards the kitchen where the only parent in his life toiled before getting ready for her day. At least his mother was there to actually be a parent.

"Good morning Lloyd!" The hard-working mom greeted him cheerfully, "Today's a very special day so I made something for the perfect start."

This morning, Koko whipped up her signature homemade waffles but she made it extra special for her precious little boy. She mixed some colorful sprinkles into the batter and that's not all. She also had a bottle of maple syrup ready for Lloyd to add as much as he'd like to the waffles already souped up with a ton of fresh fruits, a mountain of whipped cream, and even a big scoop of ice cream to top it all off. It was the ultimate dessert… for breakfast!

Lloyd, unable to deny his sweet tooth, had an excited sparkle in his eyes. As much as he wanted to dig in, the waffles looked way too good to get marred by any utensil.

"Go ahead. Those waffles aren't going to eat themselves, you know." Koko encouraged her son to sate his appetite and he wasted not even a split second to dig in. As long as her son is happy, that's all Koko needed to continue her day. They eyed the local morning news on TV doing the usual weather report and announcements of upcoming events.

"Today is a very special day! It's somebody's birthday!" The reporters happily announced.

"We'd like all of Ninjago to put their hands together for..."

Lloyd and Koko waited but weren't holding their breaths.

"The Hot Dog Man!"" The cameras switched to a live broadcast at the beach. The dedicated vendor of mystery meat in a bun blushed and waved to the public. The journalist pressed the microphone to his face for the obligatory interview.

"You've been selling hot dogs in this same spot since 2011. How do you do it?" The journalist tried to get the scoop on the lucky birthday guy.

"Well, we all gotta make money somehow and if you're gonna spend time at a beach, you're bound to pick up an appetite and someone's gotta keep all those hungry mouths fed. Oh, and seeing the smiles on my customers' faces are all I need to carry on my business." The hot dog man gave a special speech to commemorate all his years selling cheap food of questionable origins.

"We wouldn't expect anything less from such a hard-working man who contributed to the livelihood of Ninjago City for many years so let's all wish him a happy birthday!"

The whole city cheered for the local businessman all dressed up in his fast food outfit. Lloyd and Koko weren't too surprised no one paid attention to the former nor seemed aware that his birthday is today though that might be a good thing...

"Oh, and it's also Lloyd Garmadon's birthday but no one needs to know that." The reporters spat with a look of extreme disgust on their faces. The people's emotions completely switched from jubilation to sheer disdain.

"Never mind them," Koko abruptly turned off the TV, "I know you're looking forward to spending time with your friends today."

"I don't think I want to go..." Lloyd sighed and put his now empty plate in the sink.

"Why not?"

"You know how… judge-y… high school can be..."

"Being judgemental is part of human nature. I know that all too well," Koko sighed, reminiscing on her experiences since she decided to raise Lloyd on her own, "High school can be one of the worst years of your life but I know you'll get through it. You're a strong young man."

"You're only saying that because you're my mom."

"Lloyd, don't say that. I love you. Don't ever doubt that."

Lloyd always wanted to take his mother's loving words to heart but his sense of worthlessness made him doubt her. He peeked at the clock and noticed there's only a couple of minutes before the school bus comes.

"I better get going." Lloyd grabbed his hoodie and backpack and was about to head out.

"Wait! There's something I need to say." His mother stopped him.

"Happy Birthday, Lloyd." Koko gave her son a quick kiss on the cheek to make his day a bit brighter.

"Thanks Mom."

* * *

Lloyd went about his morning as usual, including death glares from everyone and venomous murmurs of how he's the second-worst guy ever. It's all part of the average day in the life of Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon. The hostilities only got worse once he reached the grounds of Ninjago High. Knowing it's his birthday today only increased their animosity towards him.

"Hello, fellow teenager." Zane literally slid next to him.

"Oh. It's you." The green ninja wasn't feeling… enthusiastic… about his big day.

"My mom has been in my case all morning. She was all like..." Zane spewed out a bunch of noises like an old computer starting up, "...And I was like 'Lay off, Mom. I am just a teenager'."

"Yeah..." Lloyd was befuddled by the nindroid but still hanged out with him. As odd as he is, Zane was still a good friend through and through.

"Bro!" Kai loudly greeted Lloyd the moment he opened the doors leading into the school.

"Give me a birthday hug!" The red ninja nabbed the green-eyed teen in a tight bear hug. Lloyd wasn't one for physical affection but getting hugs was nice at times… as long as it's not from Cole.

"Birthday hug? Let me in on that." Zane joined in and lifted both humans in his arms.

"T-too much…!" Lloyd could feel his bones and organs being crushed by the nindroid's amplified grip.

The sound of a motorcycle engine being revved up distracted everyone until a blur of silver sped down the hall and skidded into a cool sideways halt.

Ever since she finished her motorcycle, the silver kunoichi has taken to riding it down the school halls every now and then. Of course she's been scolded every time but she never gave a damn about what others think and that's probably why a certain boy in blue is always so gaga for her.

"Nya is so boss..." Jay sighed dreamily at the sight of the confident girl while Cole rolled his eyes. How Nya remained oblivious to the lightning ninja's feelings was beyond him.

"Check this out!" The kunoichi of water flaunted the mural of her role model on the vehicle, "I made it myself! It's -"

"We get it. You're Lady Iron Dragon's number one fan. You've said it a billion times." Iris shut down the retired warrior's biggest fangirl.

Lloyd was bemused by his teammates' antics. They somehow managed to keep him entertained while he's stuck in the hellhole only known as high school.

"Come with us. There's something important you gotta see." The silver kunoichi invited Lloyd for a ride on her motorcycle as well as Kai and Zane but once she drove off, they fell off.

"My emoting processor has been scrambled!"

Zane's face glitched for a few moments before Kai picked him up and followed the rest of the group.

"What's this thing you want to show me?" Lloyd asked once they reached the lockers.

"We also made something that could really help the team and it's good timing since it's your birthday. It could also be our little birthday surprise for you." Jay opened the lockers. Nothing looked out of the ordinary but knowing Jay, it's best not to judge a book by its cover. He did notice a strange tiny button near the door hinges that was never there before.

"Once you get in, you push this button and..." Jay demonstrated for him.

The floors of the lockers retracted, showing a long tunnel leading to…

"And where exactly is this supposed to go?" Lloyd asked.

"It leads right to the ninja base." Zane answered.

"We figured we're gonna need some way to get ready for a mission fast whenever Garmadon attacks while we're in school." Kai explained the gist of the ninja's latest asset.

"So what you're saying is this will help us sneak out every time Garmadon tries something?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Through a bunch of lockers inside a public building?"

"Yup!"

"And everyone will get to see us kick ass the moment we go 'missing' in school?"

"That's right!"

"Wow. That's totally not suspicious at all." Lloyd deadpanned, seemingly unhappy with the surprise.

"I told you this was a bad idea." Luna whispered.

"You never said such thing." Zane pointed out. He recorded the ninja's conversation about the tunnels so he was able to back up his claim.

"We're pretty much superheroes. We need to make some cool clothes changing sequence that might only happen once and then it'll never be brought up again." Aria answered bluntly.

"Well look who it is!" Chen strutted towards the group with his fellow cheerleaders. The ninja quickly slammed the lockers and faced the

Lloyd didn't bother saying anything. It may be his birthday but he felt like saving Chen from his sharp tongue for today.

"We made a new cheerleading routine that will top the charts!" The cheerleaders boasted.

"It's called 'Boo Lloyd'!" Chen sneered at the pariah and some other students joined in.

"Why you little…!" Kai was ready to kick the male cheerleader's prissy ass but Nya and Cole held him by the arms, leading him to kick the air like a bratty kid throwing a temper tantrum.

"Kai, stop it!" The kunoichi of water growled.

"He isn't worth it." The black ninja muttered.

The green ninja remained blasé to it all. Chen has always been like this so what else is new?

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and actually do something helpful to society." Chen snubbed the group and went on his merry way.

"I swear, one of these days…" Kai fantasized of all the horrific punishments he wanted to inflict on that campy douchebag.

The warning bell rang, reminding the ninja of the small amount of time they have left before class.

"We're gonna be late. You can deal with him later." Nya attempted to placate her brother.

* * *

There's only one hour of school left and Lloyd was nearly at the end of his ropes. The whole classroom were bored out of their minds while having to endure another one of Mrs. Turner's lectures.

"For the millionth time, Cole Charbonneau! No music during class!" The overbearing teacher scolded the buff teen.

The earth ninja leaned back in his chair, making zero effort to lower the volume of his headphones. He observed the ninja he had to share this class with. Kai looked like he was dying of boredom, Lloyd was slumped over in an effort to avoid any sort of attention, and Zane stood up straight and paid undivided attention to whatever Mrs. Turner was rambling on about. They can even hear the ticking of the clock.

Tick… Tick… Tick… BOOM!

The class heard faint explosions coming from the city which can only mean one thing.

"It's Garmadon! We're under attack!"

The dark lord was back and badder than ever. No one had ever seen so many mechs at once. The most fearsome of all was the massive humanoid mech piloted by none other than Lord Garmadon himself. The nefarious warmonger cackled as he commenced his latest plan to dominate Ninjago. The warlord and his goons left a mess of destruction and chaos in their wake. Even the official billboard celebrating three consecutive days without an invasion was also destroyed.

Everyone in Ninjago High hid under their desks or anything similar as part of the Garmadon drill. Lloyd can still feel everyone glaring daggers at him and hear murmurs blaming him for this mess. The ninja quickly remembered the lockers and now was the right time to use them, even if the timing seemed a little too convenient.

"May I be excused?" The ninja in the class got up and raised their hands.

"Because you're all talking at once, it should be 'May _we_ be excused' but whatever!" The meticulous teacher corrected them from under her desk.

The four ninja ran out into the hall just in time to see Nya on her motorcycle with Jay hitching a ride.

"Where's the rest of the team?" Cole couldn't find the other kunoichi anywhere.

No sooner had the black ninja asked of their whereabouts did the rest of the team join up.

"Sorry we're late!" Heather huffed, "Our classes are at the other end of school!"

"Let's head to the lockers." Lloyd commanded, remembering the new gimmick installed into them.

"Wait, I thought you said you didn't like it." Iris brought up what he said about them earlier.

"Just because I don't like it doesn't mean I don't think it's important." The green-eyed ninja was quick to shut down his teammate.

"But you -"

"Shut up and let's go!"

The Secret Ninja Force ran to their lockers but not before gathering in a circle and pile their hands on top of one another.

"Everybody ready?" The green ninja rallied the team.

"NINJA-GO!"

The ninja squeezed themselves into their lockers and pressed the button to begin the trip to their base and do the obligatory cool switch into their badass uniforms. Lloyd threw off his green hoodie on the way down to reveal… a white T-shirt.

"What the…!?"

Something's not right...

"Wait a sec! Our ninja gi are at the base! We can't change now!" Aria figured out they wouldn't have their uniforms on them and it was good timing because she nearly took off her blouse the moment it all dawned on her.

"Now what are we supposed to do!?" Kai pouted.

"Let's just get this over with." Lloyd scowled while waiting for the descent to meet its end.

The rest of the ride towards the ninja base was a very awkward one indeed. It took only moments for them to arrive at the warehouse but that only led to more questions.

"How were we able to get here by falling if we're gonna be at the same altitude?" Heather asked.

"And we're so far from school already. How did we manage to do all that work within days?" Even Nya was bothered by the severe lack of logic in the man-made shortcut.

"We're just a bunch of teens piloting some giant mechs with the fate of Ninjago City on our shoulders. Since when did anything in this world make sense?" Cole pointed out.

"Shut up and get to your mechs!" Lloyd activated the Mech Dragon who spewed out a stream of green flames upon being awoken.

"Looks like Garmadon's forces are larger than usual. We're gonna need all the mechs." Cole suggested after starting up his Quake Mech.

"Today is gonna be so ninja!" Kai bragged from within his Fire Mech.

"As long as we have our mechs, we're unstoppable!" Jay felt optimistic once the Lightning Jet took off.

One by one, the ninja mechs were activated and headed off for an action-packed mission.

After the dust had settled, Master Wu had the warehouse to himself as always. The ninja could've at least acknowledged him after getting here so fast when they should still be in school. But after years of witnessing many things, nothing really surprises him anymore.

"Teenagers these days..." The old sage sighed to himself and resumed his teatime.

* * *

While Garmadon's mech continued its rampage across Ninjago City, everyone ran as fast and far away from the mechanical monstrosity as possible, including those whose special day ended up becoming memorable for the worst reasons. Among the panicked citizens was a bride and groom who had their wedding ruined by the dark lord. The poor groom was out of breath but the fear-induced adrenaline kept him going until a crack in the pavement one else miraculously fell victim to caught his foot.

"I'm stuck!" The groom struggled to free himself. His red-haired bride tried to help but the rumbles of the mech's footsteps that increased as it got closer frightened her.

"I know you'd want me to save myself so I'll go ahead!" Yeah. She's a keeper, that one.

"I'll never forget you!" The bride waved farewell to the man she was supposed to marry and left him at the dark lord's mercy.

"Wait! I never anything said that! Come back!" The groom called after her in vain.

Just when it looked like the groom will be flattened into a pancake of flesh, blood, and bones, another mech swooped in just in time. The civilian was picked up by the collar of his tuxedo by the Volk Titan much like a real wolf with her cub.

"Leave this guy to us! We'll deal with him!" The pink kunoichi commanded her mech to settle him on safer ground before joining with the rest of the team.

The groom was relieved he'll live to see another day.

And he might have to reconsider his choice in spouses after this…

* * *

 **So yeah. The stuff that happens in the movie will have some differences but hopefully I get the gist of it. As always, please review.**


	104. Birthday Blues

**Discovering Destiny**

 **We're finally here!**

 **We're gonna see how the first battle from the movie goes in this version & we'll also see how Lloyd celebrates his birthday here. Again, things will be different but please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 103: Birthday Blues

A sense of relief washed over the people of Ninjago City despite the carnage still going on. The Secret Ninja Force have arrived with all ten mechs in the ultimate badass entrance. The civilians cheered for their heroes but now isn't the time to hog any glory.

"What are you doing just gawking there!?" Garmadon commanded his minions, "Attack them!"

The Shark Army dispersed to keep any unwanted attention away from their master.

"NINJA-GO!" The mechs split up to take down all the enemies more easily.

"Time to heat things up!"

Streams of red hot flames poured forth from the Fire Mech's arms.

Cole mixed some tunes on the turntable in the cockpit of his mech which was all part of the works.

"Check out my new hit! It's a SMASH!"

The Quake Mech slammed its fists onto solid ground, letting the ensuing shock waves knock the Shark Army mechs out of their feet. The Land Tracker switched between using tank tracks and 'legs' to make its way through the city and trample any bad guy stupid enough to not get out of the way.

Jay fumbled a bit with the controls but he managed to escape from the enemies' wrath with a bolt of electricity from his mech zapping them. The Tornado Jet was no slouch either. Aria commanded blasts of extremely strong winds to throw the baddies off guard and leave them discombobulated and prone to attacks from the ninja.

The Water Strider moved in and out of the water with surprising ease using its spider-like limbs as well as the expertise of its strong-willed pilot. The water mech wasn't alone dealing with maritime threats. The Ice Tank froze the water within its path, creating a road of ice and the Echo Siren followed, using its anti-gravity thrusters to make it appear as if it's floating above water.

The Shark Army chased the Ice Tank until an annoying ringing sound distracted them. It was similar to tinnitus but they knew it was coming from something because they can all hear it.

"What's that noise?"

The Shark Army traced the source to the Echo Siren playing a bunch of sounds from its files. Being the dense goons they are, they headed for the source of the annoying hindrances.

"We gotcha now!"

This is exactly what Luna was expecting. Her mech was primarily for support but that doesn't mean it's not equipped for self-defense. A medley of lasers from the seemingly harmless machinery decimated the enemy forces within moments.

The Volk Titan and Mech Dragon fought the Shark Army with fangs and claws like the beasts they were modeled after along with the occasional missile or laser here and there. Even with just a tiny fraction of its full power, the Volk Titan's laser cannon easily obliterated any obstacle or enemy.

"How are you doing, sis?" Kai checked in on Nya.

"Something's been bugging me for a while..." The silver kunoichi needed to get something out of her chest even in the middle of a fierce battle.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you hear it?"

The ninja stopped talking to hear the background music and the lyrics that only occurs every time they go on an action-packed mission.

 _Your heroes are one the way!_

"Where's that song coming from?" Some of the ninja turned to the Echo Siren for answers.

"It's not me, I swear!" The purple kunoichi shook her head, denying any responsibility for the sudden leitmotif that always comes up whenever they're in the middle of a big brawl.

"Oh forget it!" Heather brushed aside such trivial concerns and resumed kicking Shark Army ass. The whole team shared her sentiment and went back to beating baddies.

Even though all the ninja took in on the action, the Mech Dragon caught everyone's eyes. Its majestic appearance belies its immense strength the green ninja was never afraid to utilize to its full potential. With its claws and fiery breath, the mechanical beast made quick work of any adversaries. With all the ninja mechs working together, they quickly gained the advantage and it looked like they'll win. One by one, the Shark Army mechs fell

Now it was down to Garmadon and the green ninja.

"So it comes down to it," The dark lord's voice boomed from inside the main mech, "Me pitted against my worst enemy. Fate does work in funny ways."

"I'm not going to warn you again! Leave Ninjago City in peace and never come back!" The green ninja glared at the dark lord as he gave his ultimatum.

"I'll consider… if you name me the rightful ruler, then maybe I'll accept having to reign from afar." The dark lord tried to negotiate with his enemy, which is pretty stupid.

The Mech Dragon attacked with a barrage of missiles from every part of its body, even its head and it also had back-ups, resulting in a huge explosion that obscured the dark lord' mech. It took a while for the smoke to clear and it wasn't a pretty sight.

Garmadon's mech was barely able to keep itself together but the dark lord was well-known for being extremely stubborn. He wasn't planning to go down so quickly, especially to his worst enemy.

"You just never know when to quit, do you?" Garmadon glowered. The green ninja and Mech Dragon only stared him down coldly but since when did they ever stop him?

"You should know this was supposed to be a very important day for me."

Lloyd felt his heart skip a beat. He knew it's not likely but there's still a slight chance...

"What are you talking about…?" The green ninja softened his icy stare.

"I have one day left to use that cool sushi coupon!" The dark lord fumbled a bit looking for that piece of paper that could save him lots of money.

"...Seriously…?" Even the other ninja were unimpressed by the dark lord's sudden flippancy.

"Really? Is there no one important to you?" Lloyd's fist shook but he kept his cool… mostly.

"Of course there is!"

"And that is..."

"Why should I tell you?"

"Answer me, dammit!"

"Okay, fine! You want me to say it? Don't say I didn't warn you..." The dark lord regained his menacing aura from earlier. The entire city was silent as if waiting for him to answer with something dark…

"I also want to know more about the cameraman working for NTV. I think his name is… Vinny? Yeah. I was wondering if he's interested in doing an interview. He always gets a good angle."

Lloyd wordlessly sent another onslaught of missiles from the Mech Dragon.

"Is it just me or is this getting repetitive?" Heather asked while the ninja observed Lloyd's outburst.

"I don't know," Kai sighed, "I mean there's a lot of teens with daddy issues but I don't think firing a shit ton of missiles at your dad… twice… isn't exactly normal."

This time, Garmadon's mech was utterly wrecked and the dark lord was reduced to crawling out of the rubble. And yet again, the four-armed warmonger hasn't given up. He looked like he wanted to go up to the Mech Dragon and beat the living shit out of the green ninja but his underlings had yellow bellies and stopped him.

"Just you wait!" Garmadon hollered as his minions dragged him back to their lair, "One day, I will beat you and Ninjago will be mine! When that day comes, be prepared!"

"Oh, I will!"

Lloyd waited until the dark lord was out of hearing range...

"...Dad..."

Luckily, no one else heard him because they were too busy cheering for him and only him… while the rest of the team watched.

"If they let him hog all the spotlight again, I'm gonna burn his toy collection..." Kai fumed.

"He's the leader. Of course he's gonna get all the attention." Nya was also annoyed but kept her cool.

"Yeah. It's a given when you're the child of the bad guy." Luna added.

"At least we won. We should be grateful for that." Cole was fine with letting Lloyd get all the attention. It's his birthday and it's the least he deserves.

* * *

The ninja celebrated their victory on the way back to the base.

"That was awesome!" Aria cheered, "We kicked so much ass!"

"And you weren't bad yourself, Lloyd." Heather commended the leader.

"Oh yeah! You were really something else!" Kai added.

"Especially with how close you got to Garmadon." Luna pointed out.

"It was highly poignant." Zane quipped.

"For the rest of us, it would be easy because we're not related but for you, it must be so complicated." Jay rambled while hanging up the Lightning Jet.

"Come on, guys. It wasn't that great." Lloyd became sheepish from the ninja's compliments.

"You really pulled at our heartstrings. I felt for you." Nya leaped off the Water Strider to confront the green ninja.

"You mean like… with the missiles…?" The young leader asked.

"Uh... no... With the… other stuff." The kunoichi of water tried to bring up the green ninja's emotional outburst without offending him.

"Other stuff? What exactly are you referring to?" Lloyd narrowed his emerald eyes with suspicion.

"Watching you and your father." Zane said and turned his head completely around before the rest of his body followed.

"The vulnerability." Cole added, leaning on the nindroid's shoulder as always.

"We've never seen you act like that before." Iris quipped.

"Yeah! You were way more emotional than usual!" Jay finally spat it out.

"Emotions were the last thing going on out there."

"Uh… yeah..."

The ninja paused, understanding why Lloyd was getting more and more upset.

"It's okay, Lloyd. Nobody's parents are perfect." Nya placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. My mom likes to collect seashells and your dad likes to level cities and attack innocent people. They all have their quirks." Jay tried to cheer up his friend but only made a jackass of himself.

"You still have a lot to learn." An elderly voice chimed in from out of nowhere.

"Whoa! Master Wu!" Kai jumped at his mentor's sudden entrance.

"I am relieved you have accomplished your mission but I am still disappointed." Wu stared at his young apprentices with disapproving eyes.

"What!? We worked together with all our mechs for the first time and we beat Garmadon as usual!" Iris exclaimed.

"Working together is important but that's not all. You have grown much stronger since the beginning but you are still not as strong as you assume you are."

The ninja braced themselves for another lengthy cryptic lecture from their teacher.

"Strength isn't just a measure of raw physical power. It is the ability to maintain control of your psyche during the most trying of times and knowing what is truly right. There are so many things I want to tell you but you are not strong enough for the truth, especially you Lloyd."

"And what's wrong with that? It's my right to know the truth, isn't it? What makes you think keeping secrets is going to help me?" Lloyd was of course frustrated with his uncle always hiding everything.

"If I tell you the way you are now, it could change you for the worse. I don't want that for you. No one would. That is why you must remember who you really are."

"I'm here and living my life aren't I? If that isn't me being me, then what is?"

"That is something will have to find out for yourself."

Lloyd can do little else but hang his head in defeat. Master Wu moved on to the other ninja.

"The same goes for all of you. You haven't forgotten the true meaning of being a ninja, no?"

The others couldn't bring themselves to look at their teacher eye to eye, which spoke more than any words could for the wise old man.

"It appears you are losing sight of what it really means to be a ninja. I'll arrange for a special lesson for you all next time. That will be all for today." Master Wu sat down and began playing his flute. Every time the ninja tried to talk to him, he kept on playing. He was already in his own little world.

Looks like they're allowed to go home now.

* * *

Lloyd used everything he learned during training to go through the city undetected. He jumped from one building to another and ran atop moving trains with ease. It took mere minutes for him to reach his apartment which was dark once he opened the door.

'That's strange. Mom's usually home at this time.' Lloyd knew of this cliché and braced himself for it...

"SURPRISE!"

The rest of the Secret Ninja Force popped out from their hiding places once he flicked the light switch. Just because he expected it doesn't mean it he's not caught off guard.

"What the f -!?"

"Lloyd! Don't use any bad words!" Koko scolded him before he could finish.

"But that doesn't explain why you're all here!" Lloyd pointed at the ninja who should've went to their respective homes.

"Don't pin this on us! It was your mom's idea!" Kai explained.

"Mom! You know I don't like big parties!" The green ninja complained.

"I managed to find a place to celebrate your birthday. Our reservation will be in twenty minutes!" The single mom led everyone out the door.

"Mom, you don't have to do this." Lloyd squirmed but the others weren't having it.

"I know you're the most hated person in Ninjago besides Garmadon but even you deserve a nice day out every once in a while." Nya said.

"But I don't wanna!" The green ninja whined.

"And it's only for one night. How bad can it be?" Luna tried to reassure him…

* * *

"When I was thinking about what kind of party you'd throw for me, this is _not_ what I had in mind." The social outcast pouted while his fellow ninja and mother sat with him in Buddy's Pizza Land, where fun and adventure come to life and all your dreams come true.

The animatronic band sang stupid corny songs while kids screamed at the top of their lungs, running all over the arcade, and squabbling over tickets. Parents lingered in the dining area, focusing on their phones or passed out while the 'free babysitting service' dealt with their hyper kids. It was the perfect birthday party… for a six-year-old. Sixteen is a whole 'nother story.

"What made you think I want to be trapped with a bunch of animatronics that jump right into uncanny valley, pizza that could pass off as dog food, and toddlers screaming their heads off?" Lloyd banged his head on the table, his party hat slipping off in the process.

"Come on, Lloyd! Live a little!" Kai encouraged his friend while taking a big bite of pepperoni pizza.

"At least their pizza isn't as bad as the ones from Pizza-saurus." Cole sided with the fire ninja and was already on his fourth slice.

"I like it," Zane added, "I take comfort knowing there are other robots in Ninjago City." He watched the robotic mascots perform for their patrons.

Buddy wasn't looking too good with all the sparks flying from his joints, Ivy's voice was nothing but a bunch of cacophonous garbles, and Dogshank's face fell off, revealing a horrifying endoskeleton. Some of the ninja laughed at the traumatized kids running away and screaming in terror from the disastrous performance. Nightmares count as dreams and only in Buddy's Pizza Land do dreams come true so it's not just some cheap slogan, it's reality and reality sucks.

"What did I miss?" One of the dad's came back after a particularly long bathroom break.

While Lloyd was busy repressing another bad birthday memory, the rest of the team split up to spend their day in the 'funnest' pizzeria in Ninjago.

The Hinata siblings, Jay, Aria, and Heather were shouting up a storm during plenty of intense rounds of arcade games. Iris was busy chatting with her uncle on the phone in their native language, not caring she sounded like a rabid eldritch creature. Cole and Luna were stuffing themselves with pizza but also kept an eye on Zane who wanted to see the ball pit.

"Mrs… Lloyd's mom? Can we get some more money for tokens?" Aria and Jay came up to and begged Koko to pitch in for their gaming spree.

"I'm sorry but I'm a little strapped for cash." The single mother apologized.

"Yes! I won!" Heather showed off the tickets she got. If Jay and Aria can't play any more skee-ball, that will mean she has more tickets.

"We still got more than you!" Kai and Nya bragged with even more tickets in each of their hands.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Cole suddenly got up and made a beeline for the ball pit. A bunch of spoiled brats ganged up on poor Zane and pelted him with plastic balls and tried to bury him alive. With complete disregard of the no shoes rule, the earth ninja dived right in and pulled the nindroid away.

"Zane, are you alright!? Speak to me!" Cole gently shook the android.

"I think I have developed a fear of balls." Zane shivered.

The green ninja watched this whole shitstorm go down and it only made death look more beautiful.

"This can't get any worse..." Lloyd still hasn't learned that one shouldn't say that when...

"We heard it's somebody's birthday!" A group of overworked and underpayed staff gathered around the table only to stop in their tracks seeing the (un)lucky birthday boy.

The servers whispered to each other just loud enough for the party to hear.

"I don't wanna serve him!"

"What choice to we have? We don't get paid enough as it is."

"I'd still rather starve for another week than dealing with him."

"We can always spit on his pizza."

"Let's just get this over with. The sooner he leaves, the better."

Lloyd slid down his seat as the staff quickly sang the birthday song of humiliation with forced smiles on their faces before presenting him with a cupcake topped with a birthday candle that didn't get his age right. This couldn't get any more embarrassing.

"Look Mommy! It's that bad guy you and Daddy tell me to stay away from!" A random kid pointed at the green-eyed pariah.

"Don't go near him, Sammy!" The parents quickly grabbed their little one and bolted away from Lloyd and his crappy birthday party.

Even if the party was at any other place, Lloyd knew he'd still be in a sour mood. Once again, _he_ wasn't there for his big day. Keeping his hopes up was useless but he keeps doing it anyway. It's a bad habit of his and he really needs to stop.

Koko felt terrible for her son never having a birthday with his father and it's all her fault. She shouldn't be wallowing in self-blame when this is supposed to be a joyous day for her child. This isn't about her.

"What about the present?" Nya whispered to Kai.

'Oh shit.' Realization socked the fire ninja in the face. He completely forgot to bring it with him.

"Didn't _you_ get them."

"No! I thought _you_ would!"

"Did you get him anything?" Kai whisper-yelled at the others. The looks on their faces told him they all made the same mistake as he did.

"Yeah, but..."

"What are you talking about?"

"We all got presents for you -" Zane tried to answer but his mouth got blocked by Kai's hand.

"Presents?" Now the ninja got Lloyd's attention at the worst time possible.

"Oh! It's actually a funny story!" Jay nervously chortled, "We were all in a hurry for the party and..."

"We forgot to bring them." Zane happily finished, much to the other ninja's dismay.

The green ninja sat there speechless for many moments. Everyone else feared what he'll say or do. He just sat there with a straight face which only made it all the more unsettling.

"Welp. Looks like the party's over. I'm calling it a night." Lloyd curtly got up and left, leaving his mother behind to apologize for the half-assed party.

"Um… Looks like we'll have to call it a night. Just let me pay and you can go." Koko left to follow Lloyd.

The ninja sat in awkward silence. Some party this turned out to be.

"Does that mean he's not gonna eat that cupcake?" Cole pointed at the neglected treat.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Lloyd. That was the only place on my budget." Koko apologized during the drive home.

"You don't have to go all the way every year. All I want is to stay home and wait for this whole thing to blow over." Lloyd's eyes pointed at the road, watching all sorts of vehicle buzz by.

Koko sighed in sorrow but she still had one more surprise that could make up for the crappy party.

"I still have something for you back home if that'll cheer you up."

Lloyd grew curious despite his lingering doubts. He was still willing to give his mother a chance...

Once they were back home, Koko went to her room where she knew the present will be safe from her son's eyes until now.

"Happy birthday, son." She presented the tenderly wrapped gift on Lloyd's lap.

The birthday boy gingerly tore off the wrapping matching his eyes and ninja color and was astonished by what his mother got for him.

It was one of those build and assemble toys he loved but this was no ordinary toy. This was the newly released limited edition model of the Mech Dragon that can even shoot darts similar to the missiles of the real thing… which he already owned. Still, Lloyd liked anything that let him build and create things as only he can dictate. Before he could say anything, his mother answered for him.

"I ordered it a few weeks in advance. I wanted to enjoy your birthdays as much as you can."

Yet again, Lloyd felt that biting sense of guilt for making his mother's life so hard. He also felt a sudden urge to tell her the truth about everything.

'I can't! Unless I want to make things harder for Mom.'

"Do you… like it…?" Koko grew wary of her son's quiet demeanor.

"Yeah… Thanks..."

Lloyd may not have a good father… or any father in his life but at least he had his mother and even if they annoy him sometimes, the other ninja were still good friends. He knew it could be worse and to be grateful for what he has…

And yet he keeps yearning for something more…

* * *

 **And that's it. Even though we're at the movie events, there's gonna be more stuff between now and Meowthra's rampage so stay tuned.**


	105. Family Tradition

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Okay. We're now on to the 'in-between' events between the first battle in the movie to Meowthra's appearance. Thank you all so much for sticking with me & maybe I won't take so damn long to the next big event. Anyways, read on.**

* * *

Chapter 104: Family Tradition

Life at Ninjago High was back to normal… for the most part. Everyone despised Lloyd and thought his friends were just as weird for affiliating themselves with him. His birthday may be over but the hatred was a year-round thing.

Oh, and the ninja _finally_ got Lloyd the presents they forgot at the birthday party.

"I hope you like it." Zane handed Lloyd a wrapped gift at the rooftop where the ninja sometimes hang out. Lloyd accepted the nindroid's gift and unwrapped it, revealing a tiny flash drive shaped like a cat.

"I selected it myself." The naive nindroid explained, sounding proud of himself.

"Uh… thanks..." Lloyd accepted the presents the ninja got for him, even if they weren't impressive. It was mostly little trinkets such as CD's from Cole and a Hallister gift card from Aria but it's better than nothing. Oh, and they all beat yet another autographed selfie from Kai, this time with a flower crown filter. The green ninja was bemused by the fire ninja's vanity and accepted it as part of who he is.

"Oh come on! I put so much thought into that gift!" Said fire ninja ranted.

"Yeah," Nya seemingly agreed, "If you kept obsessing over yourself, of course you did."

"Guys, it's fine," Lloyd quelled the Hinata siblings' bickering, "It's better than having nothing."

The green ninja got sulky again and everyone just looked at each other as if saying 'here we go again'.

"If you're gonna talk about what we think you're gonna talk about, don't. Just. don't." Heather held up her hand to silence him.

"What? I was just going to say how they just released a new ameebo that can work with the Legend of Dragons game and I'd really like to get one." Lloyd explained.

The ninja stared at him dumbfounded. Perhaps they were the ones who are too quick to judge. Lloyd may be unbearably whiny about his daddy issues but nobody's perfect.

"By the way, what do think Master Wu plan to tell us?" Luna brought up their teacher's plans for their next lesson, "He sounded like he really wanted to talk to us about something..."

"Don't bother," Kai scoffed, "He's just gonna keep his precious secrets to himself."

"I don't know about that. I have this feeling things are going to be different from now on." The green ninja expressed this strange feeling he had about what his uncle intends to tell them.

All they can do now is wait until that moment comes...

* * *

The ninja arrived at their base and waited for their teacher to pop up when they least suspect it. They also remember him saying he had something important in store for them and they wondered what it could be. On the other hand, some of them had doubts about what he has in store for them.

"I bet he's just gonna go on another rant about us being 'naive and inexperienced'." Kai lamented.

"But first, he's gonna pop us behind us..." Iris paused once her back was facing the entrance.

"Anytime now..."

Just as expected, Master Wu turned up at the entrance of the warehouse, ready to give his lesson. He was also pleasantly surprised none of them flinched anymore. They've really come a long way.

"Just in time..." The old man remarked.

"Master Wu, I recall you saying that there is something important you plan to tell us." Zane spoke.

"Indeed. I have something important to tell you, something that may decide the fate of Ninjago… and your destiny."

The ninja knew what they were getting themselves into but this isn't the first time they dealt with the old geezer's flowery speeches and metaphors. Master Wu somehow knew some of his students were only half-listening. A swift whack in the head from his staff drove his message home.

"Back in the beginning, I have assigned each and every one of you with an element. Your elements are not just mere symbols. You have a strong link with your elements and you will achieve full mastery of them once you reach your full potential." Their mentor began.

"You keep saying that but we're nowhere closer to reaching it." Heather complained.

"Have patience," Wu calmly reprimanded her, "Reaching your full potential is a long road for everyone and there are many steps. The next step for you is mastering your element. Becoming them."

One by one, he inspected each of his students. They already had a spiritual bond with their elements. Now it's time for them to awaken their full power and reach their true potential.

"Nya, with enough commitment and inner peace, you will be able to control water." The elderly sage summoned a bubble of water before the silver kunoichi.

Nya gasped in awe at Master Wu's display of control over her element.

"I could be saying the same for all of you. Kai, you too will one day control fire." Master Wu's hand was now on fire… literally.

"Wow!" Kai was just as dazzled as his sister was.

"Metal..." A small chunk of ore materialized in the old man's hand and formed itself into a tiny sword.

"Is that for real?" Iris was puzzled by Master Wu's sudden mastery of all his students' elements.

"Lightning..." Bolts of pure electricity moved about between Wu's hands.

"So ninja..." Jay was mesmerized by the bright plasma.

"Earth..." Wu punched the ground to create a shock wave that knocked everyone off their feet.

"Cool spin." Cole remarked and eyed the record also spinning in his grasp.

"Ice..." Wu's fist then froze in a layer of prickly frost in front of the nindroid.

"Ice is nice!" Zane seemed particularly happy at his mentor's display of elemental prowess.

"Nature..." Wu placed his hand on the ground and a small plant sprouted from the spot he touched.

"Oooh..." Heather gazed in wonder at the tiny flower blooming at the top of the plant.

"Wind..." Wu spread out his arms and gales swirled forth from his hands.

"Do it again!" Aria jumped like an excited child.

"And sound…!" Wu's voice suddenly got louder, echoing across the warehouse.

"Uh… cool…?" Luna cleared up the ringing in her ears.

"And you, Lloyd..." Wu paused to look at his nephew eye-to-eye.

Lloyd leaned forward in anticipation. He was the leader so it's expected of him to get something cool. Maybe he'll be able to use all the ninja's elements or something entirely different. Or...

"You will be the master of green." His uncle finished rather quickly.

A record scratch went off in the ninja leader's head. As far as he knew, 'green' is not an element. Even if it is, it certainly lacks in creativity.

"Uh… Say that again…?" Lloyd wanted to make sure he heard that correctly.

"You are the master of green." Wu repeated himself like it's the most practical thing in the world.

"I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade but if I'm 'green', then how's that gonna work?" The leader complained, "How do you control a color? And what does it even mean?"

"You are special in more ways than one. You will find out for yourself."

"Special or not, why can't I be an actual element? How about time or… or gravity?"

"Nope."

"Can I be the ninja of surprise?"

"That's already taken by the fuchsia ninja."

"Surprise!" The one-time background ninja popped up, complete with jazz hands and all and jumped out of the way.

The ninja stood there, dumbfounded by the random ninja who was never with them until now. Master Wu ignored his apprentices' confusion and went on with his speech.

"In order to become bonded with your elements, you must achieve inner balance. Only then can you do many techniques mastered by few, such as spinjitzu." Master Wu paused for dramatic effect.

"Spin… jitzu…?" The ninja raised their eyebrows at the cliché name.

"An ancient move that can only be achieved when one knows, thrive, and accept being who they are and understand what is most important to them. It is also known to reveal itself during times of crisis or one's darkest hour. However, I do not advise putting yourselves in danger for the sake of awakening your full power. Like many things, it comes when it is least expected."

"Isn't that a bit contrived?" Nya questioned.

"I recommend trying to tap into your psyche and connect yourselves with your element. That way you will be able to perform spinjitzu."

"But what exactly does spinjitzu do? Did you even know how to do it?" Luna asked.

Master Wu spun a couple of times to immerse himself in a tornado of pure gold that shone so bright it illuminated the entire warehouse, nearly blinding his students in the process. His spinning soon came to a halt and he didn't look dizzy in the slightest.

"How's that for knowing spinjitzu?" The elderly man asked sardonically.

The ninja were still speechless by their mentor's display of such a powerful move. Exactly how it works was still a mystery to them. All of this only opened up a lot of questions. Knowing Master Wu, asking out loud right now won't do them any good.

"I recommend starting practice in spinjitzu right now." Master Wu suggested.

"Dude, how does spinjitzu even work?" Kai was still confused. Master Wu just had to reveal so much stuff at once he doesn't know where to start.

"It's in the name. We'll just spin until we get it." Heather started twirling and soon, everyone followed.

The ninja tried spinning around and some added their own flair. Luna performed some balletic twirls, Kai looked more like he was trying to break dance, and Zane's movements were stiff. Jay stumbled on his own feet and tripped while Aria spun too fast and got dizzy. Cole spun much more slowly than the rest of the team, Heather kept looking up or down which made her spin out of position and get in the other ninja's way, and Nya's may be concentrating too hard because the way her face contorted got to borderline grotesque levels.

"This is hopeless!" Iris fell flat on her bottom, being the first to call it quits, "We'll never do spinjitzu! It already took us forever to learn how to fight with our weapons! We'd have better luck getting Lloyd to not whine about his daddy issues for one full day!"

"Hey!" The green ninja felt more than a little offended by the kunoichi of metal's implication.

"Patience is something that doesn't come easily," Master Wu reminded his students yet again, "One of the first steps in mastering spinjitzu is to obtain peace of mind."

"Isn't that the same thing as just enjoying life?" Jay asked.

"And has that revealed the secrets of spinjitzu to you?" His mentor questioned back.

The lightning ninja stuttered while trying to come up with an answer but it looks like the old man got him there.

"Whether it's doing a certain activity, being in a specific place, or just being near someone you have a special bond with, once you feel wholly content and nothing can interfere with your deepest thoughts, that is when you obtain the perfect balance and the way of spinjitzu will be clear to you."

"Welp. Looks like we're gonna have to do all that boring training stuff all over again." Cole sighed.

The echoes of the Secret Ninja Force's collective groans resonated in the warehouse.

And there's also something else that's been bugging them.

"Is no one gonna talk about that fuchsia guy or whatever?" Heather asked.

And now the Secret Ninja Force were also plagued with one of the greatest mysteries in Ninjago.

Who is the fuchsia ninja?

* * *

Kai and Aria did their usual routine of checking out anything in Ninjago City that caught their interest. Thankfully, the whole Hinata family were out of the day and Kai's parents trusted him enough to allow him to spend time on his own as long as he calls them. While the pair spent time together, Aria loved shopping, which isn't new, while the fire ninja flocked to any product that could improve his looks.

"Good! I'm running out of volumizing powder at home!" Kai welcomed the wave of relief upon finding the hair product on sale at one of the many shops in the southern streets of the city.

"Why are you so obsessed with hair products?" Aria raised an eyebrow at the vain ninja's antics.

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me why you're so obsessed with clothes?"

The orange kunoichi tried coming up with a comeback but the red ninja got her good.

"It shouldn't matter," Kai quickly shrugged off his and Aria's materialism, "We all got our quirks. I won't say anything about you being a shopaholic or Cole and Luna's obsession with music. As long as you're not gonna be an asshole about it, we're good… Besides..."

The red ninja paused to find the right words. He didn't care if he'll sound cheesy. When he expresses how he feels or what he thinks, he won't hold anything back.

"It's kinda nice having something in common with a teammate… no… friend."

Aria wasn't sure what to make of Kai considering her a friend. At first, she barely knew him and now, they often hang out and continuing learning about one another. The world sure works in funny ways. Today was still a good day and she didn't want to ruin it.

Too bad fate has other plans.

The duo were just outside the entrance when a crowd clamored to get inside as if they were trying to get away from something.

"What's going on…?" Aria squeezed her way through the hordes to get a better look at whatever it is that's getting everyone worked up with Kai trailing behind her.

While Garmadon and his Shark Army were the biggest threat to Ninjago, they weren't the only ones. The city was heckled by thugs every now and then. Today, they just happened to consider the store Kai and Aria were in a suitable place to trash with the way they were eyeing the place.

"Looks like this place has some stuff to keep us occupied." The gang cackled.

The red ninja's blood was boiling at this point. Why anyone besides Garmadon want to cause trouble and be assholes was beyond him. Not only did they completely ruined his day but he was getting tired of how authorities often claim they'll do what they can to ensure justice but end up doing jack shit. If no one's gonna do anything, then he'll be more than willing to take matters into his own hands.

Aria was flabbergasted at the sight of Kai marching towards the gang and before she knew it, grabbed his shirt before he could get far.

"Kai! It's too dangerous! We don't have our mechs nor any weapons to fight with!" The olive-skinned girl hissed, still clutching his top and threatening to tear the seams.

"And let the bad guys win!? Hell no!" The fire ninja shook her off but she was persistent.

"You don't know what you're doing!" The orange kunoichi grabbed him again, this time by the wrist.

"It's my duty as a ninja to protect others!"

"Forget about being a ninja! We're not ninja right now! There's no way you'll beat them!"

"This isn't about beating anybody! I still can't let these guys get away with being assholes!"

Before Aria could stop him again, Kai wrested his arm away from her grip and ran towards Kozu.

"KAI!"

The kunoichi of wind can only watch in horror as the fire ninja confronted the nefarious thug.

"Hey!" The hot-blooded teen barked, getting the ringleader's attention.

Everyone in the gang slowly turned their heads towards the fire ninja, looking like something straight out of a scary movie. Kai remained steadfast and stared at the leader

"Are you talking to us?" The leader stepped up, intimidating everyone in sight. He revealed himself as none other than Kozu of the Stone Warriors, one of the nastiest gangs in all of Ninjago and they knew it. They completely destroy any place they please and weren't afraid to send anyone who dare get in their way to the hospital.

"Hell yeah!" Kai was undeterred by the thug's unsavory reputation. He didn't flinch at all, even when Kozu stomped over to where he stood. The thug stared him down for what felt like an eternity until Kai allowed it to end.

Kai punched Kozu square in the jaw eliciting loud gasps among the civilians and thugs. The gang leader stumbled and spat out a mixture of saliva and blood. Some witnesses could've sworn they saw at least one tooth among the body fluid. Kozu was quick to return the favor by socking his assailant in the eye.

"Kai!" Aria separated herself from the crowd and ran to the fire ninja's side to inspect his wound.

Kai's eye was already bruised and almost swollen shut but he didn't give a damn. The rest of the world didn't exist as far as he's concerned. He was more than willing to return the favor and punched Kozu in the face again. It wasn't long before their scuffle devolved into an outright brawl.

Everyone besides Aria was shocked by the seemingly ordinary teenager going up against Kozu, leader of one of the most brutal gangs in Ninjago City. The Stone Warriors ganged up on Kai but he was able to put up a fight thanks to all his training but Aria felt sick to her stomach watching him getting beaten up or being harmed in any way while she just watched like a helpless damsel. Before Aria knew what she was doing, she joined the fray. She jumped atop Kozu and wailed on him, swinging her arms and even biting him. The gang leader quickly threw her off of him but she was just as persistent as Kai.

Some witnesses could've sworn the temperature got hotter akin to a sweltering summer day and the winds were really picking up to the point they thought a storm was coming. The red ninja and orange kunoichi felt something deep within them unveiling itself. They don't know how else to describe it. All they know is that it was beginning to consume them the more they fought. They were almost entirely engulfed by it when...

"Kai!" The fire ninja heard a pair of familiar voices amidst the chaos.

An older couple barged through the crowds to see what's going on with their son.

"Mom!? Dad!?" Kai was shocked to see his parents with Nya following close behind.

At that moment, the gang learned the hard way to never mess with any protective parents' children. Ray turned into a raging maniac, beating up the thugs with all his might and screaming profanities that will traumatize even the hardiest of grown-ups. On the other hand, Maya was silent which only made her all the more terrifying. Without saying anything, she grabbed Kozu by the shoulders, marched over to the edge of the street, and smashed his head against the curb. Everyone winced at the sight of the gang leader's bloodied nose and mouth and the crimson splatters on the concrete.

"Don't you _dare_ hurt my little prince ever again!" She snarled.

Everyone was too scared to say or do anything or they'll face Maya's wrath...

"Kai! We were so worried about you!" Maya's ferocity gave way to motherly concern for her son.

"H-how did you…?" The exhausted Kai wheezed.

"You could've saved some of the action for me!" Nya complained.

"Nya!" Ray barked.

Aria didn't know what to make of the Hinata family finishing off the gang and not scolding their son.

"Aria!" Now it was her turn to face her parents.

"Aria Fernandez! What have you gotten yourself into!?" Her father scolded her the moment he could see her.

"I… I can explain..." Aria hung her head.

"You could've gotten hurt! I can't let you go out on your own anymore!"

"Hang on Mr. Fernandez! I was the one who dragged her into this!" Kai rushed in to defend Aria. The concerned parent seemed belligerent yet willing to hear him out, "Aria and I were just shopping until Kozu came along. I couldn't just stand there and let him cause trouble and Aria tried to defend me. If there's anyone you should be mad it, it's me."

"Aren't you Hinata Kai? Aria often talked about you at home." Aria's mother pieced together the tales her daughter told of her hot-blooded friend with ridiculously spiky hair.

"Is that so…?" The fire ninja sent a questioning glance in Aria's direction.

Aria felt her face heat up for some reason.

"We're not exactly proud of what you did but you're not in trouble."

Meanwhile, some of the older witnesses felt something familiar seeing Ray and Maya...

"Wait a minute, aren't you -"

"We're not here for fame or glory! Let's get Kai and Nya home right now!" The Hinata couple quickly guided their children away from prying eyes.

Kai and Nya were confused by their parents' sudden reluctance to be seen by the public but they were insistent in getting them home…

* * *

The Hinata family were back in the comforts of their home where Kai can recuperate from the brawl. With Nya occupied with chatting amongst her online friends, Ray and Maya reflected on all the crazy shit that happened minutes ago.

"Looks like we still got it," Ray sighed, "And after seeing what you did to Kozu, make sure I never forget our anniversary."

"I've handled tougher guys than him," Maya talked like it was nothing, "Remember when he dealt with Machia? She put up more of a fight than that poser."

"But Kai did give him a beating beforehand."

"Are you questioning my skills? I'll be happy to demonstrate otherwise…"

"Nah. I'm good," Ray maintained a level-headed demeanor despite his wife's 'offer', "You know… this kinda reminds me of the good ol' days."

"Yeah. I can't believe it's been so long. Yet I'm kinda glad no one really talks about it..."

"You know we gotta tell Kai and Nya one day."

"After what happened, I think we should wait just a little bit longer before we tell them. They're still so young and we can't predict how they'll react. Maybe they'll take it well, maybe they won't."

"Oh, and I found out something."

"What is it?"

"Looks like we found a new family tradition." Ray spoke about the earlier brawl like it was a festivity.

"Guess we really are an unusual family." Maya chuckled at her husband's jocular declaration.

Only in the Hinata family…

* * *

 **So yeah. It'll be some time before we see what kind of relationship Kai and Aria might have as well as the others. The ninja still have much to learn about each other before Meowthra comes along but with all the introductions and mechs done, hopefully it won't take as long but you know me. We'll get to Meowthra's part when the next ice age comes. Until then, reviews are appreciated.**


	106. Hot Potato

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hey guys! Looks like we're back to original content though some of the deleted stuff from the movie will still appear so yeah, there's still gonna be a bit of action today. Also, we're picking up right where we left off to see how Kai & Aria felt about their ordeal last time. Oh, & who can forget the good ol' relationship drama? Read on!**

* * *

Chapter 105: Hot Potato

Kai hated feeling useless. He was too weak to do anything besides lie on his bed. Trying to get up was a very difficult ordeal. Even if his face wasn't beaten up, he can't take a good selfie while lying down. At least he'll get plenty of bragging rights next time the Secret Ninja Force meet.

And he and Aria will see each other again…

'Aria...'

He thought about Aria and wondered if she was okay. Her parents seemed mad at her and even if she chose to join the fight, he was the one who caused the situation. But there were also many questions.

Why did he do it?

Was it out of conviction to the ninja way?

Was it to prove himself?

Was it for… her…?

Kai knew how overprotective he can get when it comes to friends and family. If it was Nya or any other ninja, he'd definitely do the same. He and Aria got to really know each other from all the outings they did together and he genuinely enjoyed those moments. He kinda wanted them to last forever.

But what about Aria herself?

If he enjoys spending time with her, that means he also appreciates her for her, right?

At first, she didn't seem like the person to take anything seriously. Even now, the kunoichi of wind can be a bit of an airhead at times, no pun intended. She wasn't perfect but he isn't one to talk. Even Kai was aware of his big ego. He didn't think she had what it takes to be a ninja yet she was able to keep up with the rest. She may not be what she seems to be. Other than his brief doubts of her as a ninja, he never truly disliked her.

And something else in him went off, something he was sure he never felt before. It wasn't big enough to really bother him but it was there. There's no way the fire ninja could compare it to other feelings he experiences because it wasn't like any other. He also had a hunch this new feeling will make things a lot more complicated between the two.

Oh, what joy.

* * *

Aria sighed staring at the posters of various shows and bands in her room. The only reason she wasn't in trouble was because Kai told her parents everything. Not even was allowed to explain for herself or her actions. After what happened, her parents forbade her from leaving the house and she knew they were just worried for her safety. It was still boring just sitting around and let the world go by. She also can't stop thinking about what happened and what she had done.

If she weren't a kunoichi she would've run away… or would she?

And would she do the same if Kai wasn't there?

She knew it was an already stupid thing to do but she was adamant in not leaving Kai to his fate if he failed to do anything about Kozu. This was the first time she actually defended someone.

' _You don't know what you're doing!'_

Her own words echoed in her head and she remembered how she felt at that exact moment.

She truly didn't want Kai to get hurt, especially because of her. It was her idea to go there when Kozu showed up. Now she was feeling guilty for dragging him into that mess and anger at herself for doing nothing until the last minute. She's supposed to be a kunoichi. She should've been there for Kai as he had been for her.

'I don't want anything like that to happen again. I don't want it to happen to him again.'

That was the first time she felt… something…

She didn't know what it was and how could she know if she never experienced it until now?

Will she feel the same for anyone else?

As far as she was concerned, Kai was yet another friend and teammate. She didn't feel the way she's feeling now for Lloyd, Nya, or even Heather. Speaking of which, the kunoichi of nature has been very close with Zane lately. Maybe she knows what's going on…

'No… I don't think asking her is the way to go… This is something I gotta find out for myself…'

Aria was sick of just wondering. That was why she became a kunoichi in the first place. She'll achieve nothing if she just thinks of what may be unless she goes out there and discover it firsthand.

And yet… it made her scared. That was the worst part.

Either remain oblivious or be changed for the worse by the answer. Either way, she won't be happy.

* * *

Dr. Julien was sometimes lonely being stuck at home so he wasn't complaining when Cole came over. He and Zane really hit it off from day one and he was also happy his nindroid son was making friends. Before he met the particular group of teens, he had to endure seeing Zane come home, disheartened by the shallow teens who ostracize him for being 'nothing but a machine'.

Right now, Zane was teaching Cole how to cook and so far, the latter wasn't doing too good. Just one look at his culinary skills, or lack thereof, gave away that the black ninja lived an extremely pampered upbringing in the Charbonneau manor. The ice ninja couldn't bare to watch him maim the ingredients any longer or his father will go to bed hungry.

"Please refrain from using such force to separate the cabbage leaves," The white ninja had his human companion step aside so he can show him how it's done, "You must not apply pressure nor rush."

The nindroid carefully peeled each leaf like turning the pages of an old book. Even when cooking, Zane does it all with such precision and grace. Cole never realized how much work it took to prepare even a mere cabbage leaf. He continued watching the nindroid cut off the thick part of the stem and parboil them before moving on to the other ingredients.

"Pardon the intrusion but what do you plan on making?" Dr. Julien took a peek at the ingredients his son was preparing.

"I am currently teaching Cole how to prepare cabbage rolls."

"Oh. I'm looking forward to taste something Cole has helped prepared."

Cole mentally cringed. He was an awful cook and he didn't want to be charged for murder so soon.

Once Zane was done mincing the vegetables, he combined them with the ground pork in a bowl, "It is time to mix the filling. Cole, I trust you can do this."

The buff ninja still wasn't exactly confident in cooking but he could never betray his helpful nature.

"What do you want me to do?" Cole asked.

"You simply combine the ingredients together by hand. Just do not take too long or the filling will get tough when it is cooked." Zane answered.

Despite his immense strength in battle, the muscular was very gentle in all other areas. The raw meat and minced vegetables felt weird but he kept being careful in mind. He kneaded them together until the mixture was homogeneous. The black ninja almost got carried away if it weren't for the nindroid stopping him.

"Thank you for your assistance. Now, let us cook." Zane gently grasped his shoulder to remind him his work was done.

"Uh… sure..."

Before Cole knew it, the cabbage rolls were done. Each plump morsel of cabbage-wrapped goodness lay in a mild broth. Just the scent alone was more than enough to make even the pickiest eater want to have a bite.

"Amazing. You two have done such a wonderful job." Dr. Julien commended the pair.

"Nah, Zane did most of the work. I was just screwing up and making a mess." Cole shrugged off the old engineer's compliments. He wasn't used to getting praise from any parental figure.

"Please don't berate yourself. I know Zane will be able to teach you and just by observing something, you can learn from it. Now, let's eat, shall we?"

The savory goodness of the filling was complemented by the sweetness of the soft cabbage. The broth lent additional depths to the flavor with the slight acidity of the tomatoes mixed in. It's no wonder the Petite Corner thrived since Zane started working there. If he wasn't a ninja, he could easily become a chef. No, not just an ordinary chef. He'll be a gift to the culinary world.

Cole also can't help but feel envious of Zane and Dr. Julien's relationship. It was clear they loved each other very much. Dr. Julien was very supportive of everything his son does. In turn, the humanoid was comfortable expressing his true thoughts and feelings with him, all things Cole could never do with his own father.

"You've certainly outdone yourself, Zane. That was the most delicious meal I ever had," Dr. Julien said once he was done, "No, that's not right. Everything you cook is the most delicious thing in the world."

"I did not do it alone. Thanks to Cole, we provided you with sustenance." Zane reminded his father of their guest.

"Yes. Thank you for helping Zane."

"Should you be heading home? Your father will get worried." The nindroid pointed out.

"Nah, I bet he's happier with it this way." Cole leaned back on his chair.

There were many things Cole wanted to say but only wanted Zane to hear them. He was free from his judgmental father and Zane was here. This could be his one chance. He may be laid-back but he knew when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes by and he won't let it escape.

"Do you mind if we talk… alone?"

"Why?"

"Just because." Cole got up.

"We could converse in my room if you would like." Zane guided the earth ninja to his bedroom.

Dr. Julien was a bit surprised by Cole's insistence to chat with Zane alone. Being an old man meant he saw many things that would fly over the heads of younger inexperienced people. He had seen the way Cole and Zane look at each other and he knew what kind of look that was. He never expected his son to potentially feel that way for Cole, or anyone for that matter. Yet it proved Zane's sense of humanity and he considered it best to wait. Feelings change and only Zane can decide what kind of relationships he wants and with whom. One thing that won't change was that Zane was his son and he loved him. As long as he was happy with his choices, he'll support him.

Cole gazed at the city from the window in Zane's room. The nindroid observed him without a word but wondered why he said he wanted to talk because he hadn't said anything in the last two minutes.

"It's kinda funny how we get along so well even though we couldn't be any more different."

Zane's lips lowered into a frown, assuming Cole was going to address him being…

"It's not because you're a nindroid. Even if you were human, we're almost polar opposites. You're so eager to socialize while I'm happy just listening to music and you live in an apartment while I'm stuck in a mansion. We even wear the opposite colors in our gi. Yet… we seem… close..."

"My father once told me that sometimes, it is people's differences that bring them closer together. It is somewhat similar to the concept of yin and yang. Perchance we are experiencing that."

Cole turned his gaze away from the skyline to something even more dazzling.

The telltale glow of Zane's icy blue eyes could mesmerize anyone once they get past his strange facial expressions. The black ninja was no exception and staring into those eyes made him feel accepted. He didn't know how that worked but it did. Maybe he should stop questioning everything so much.

"Cole..." The nindroid tried to speak to his human friend.

"Yeah?"

"I too feel a sense of closeness with you. I enjoy the moments we have together and more than once have I wished there was a way for time to stop. I have yet to understand these feelings but… I do not dislike it."

"So do you…?"

"I am not sure if I am fully capable… First, I must understand what this feeling is..."

Cole felt dejected for a reason he also can't understand.

"Maybe we do not have to keep questioning how we feel..."

"I'm surprise you'd say something like that."

"How we feel is part of who we are, that is what Father told me."

"You don't have to follow everything he says."

"But the way he said it… I cannot help but agree… If feeling this way is part of who I am, then there is no shame in that. I want to be who I want to be. There are so many things in this world I still have yet to understand but I want to know who I am before anything else."

Cole didn't have anything to say about Zane and his father's profound views. To just be who he is. That might be all he has to do. The answers won't come up if he tries too hard. Right now, all he knew was that he and Zane were at peace in each other's company and he will be grateful for that.

* * *

Today is another day in Ninjago City, complete with raids from the Shark Army.

The dark lord's underlings started invading various apartments in the city by foot. Of course the Secret Ninja Force were on their tail and with their mechs too big for this sort of mission, the ninja had to go on foot. It felt a little strange having to fight with just their weapons again after all those missions with their mechs. Maybe Master Wu was right about them relying too much on them.

This was the first time Garmadon sent his minions to people's homes instead of the city proper. Along with calling Lloyd on the day of his birthday seemingly for no reason, the green ninja had a bad hunch as to why the dark lord began raiding residence areas now…

"Lloyd! Stay focused!" Cole's voice shook the green ninja out of his anxiety.

Lloyd only swung his sword in every direction and most of the ninja were hardly any better. Only Zane and the Hinata siblings actually used their weapons as they should and the rest flailed them around. It was kinda sad to be honest.

"Don't get beaten up! Don't get beaten up! Don't get beaten up!" Jay mindlessly flailed his kusarigama around in a frenzy. He rarely, if ever, hit his targets but he was too terrified to care.

Cole was embarrassed that he was lagging for once. His fighting style was never as swift as the others and since he let himself go, he was falling behind.

"Are there any more enemies?" Kai wanted to make sure everyone was safe.

"There's still a bunch of them scattered in the east apartment blocks." Aria explained.

"I sense three humans trapped within that compartment." Zane pointed at one of the buildings.

"I'm going in!" Lloyd headed in the direction, "The rest of you split up and the civilians out of here!"

"NINJA-GO!"

"Do we have the say that every time we do something big?" Luna couldn't help but ask, even during a hectic mission. The others ignored her to fulfill their duties.

Lloyd stood awkwardly in the elevator going up accompanied by cheesy music. The ride up couldn't go any slower and he was starting to lose his mind…

DING!

The elevator finally opened and Lloyd made a beeline for the apartment Zane addressed.

Lloyd was greeted by a few Shark Army goons surrounding a terrified couple, the mother clutching an infant in her arms. The first thing on his mind was bashing the minions' brains in but first, he needed to get the family out of here.

"Leave now or I'll _make_ you!" The green ninja looked threatening but the Shark Army had something up their sleeves.

The underling suddenly wrested the baby from its mother's arms. The infant wailed as the ringleader took a blade and held it up against their tiny victim.

"One more step and the baby gets it!"

The green ninja had seen this old trick so many times he didn't give a damn what the Shark Army will do if he doesn't bend to their will. With the blink of an eye, he sneaked behind the leader and bashed his head with the scabbard of his sword. Before he could retrieve the baby, the other underlings seized the infant and Lloyd chased after them. Just as he was within arm's reach of the goon with the infant, they tossed the hostage to their ally. The Shark Army were playing a game of keep-away with the baby as the prize. Lloyd cooked up a plan within seconds and the moment the tiny human was in midair, he jumped up and caught it. The green ninja tumbled for a bit but made sure the baby was safe. He now held the baby over his head and the now rescued hostage considered now to be the right time to spit up some white stuff the green ninja didn't dare question all over his face. At that moment, the young hero was grateful he had to wear a mask during missions. The baby giggled at the misery it caused for the green ninja.

The green ninja turned his attention to the enemies he wasn't done with. He kept the baby tucked in his arm while he delivered a fury of kicks to the Shark Army.

"Follow me!" Lloyd guided the family out of the building once the baddies were too dazed to do much.

All the ninja met up outside guiding civilians out of the apartments.

"Is that all of them?" Iris inspected the crowds of citizens.

"I do not detect any more civilians in the buildings." Zane scanned the apartments to make sure.

"Looks like we succeeded." Nya remarked.

The Shark Army have been thwarted once again but the Secret Ninja Force were left bedraggled from the incredible strain of fighting without their mechs.

"We… we're alive…!" Jay gasped.

Heather suddenly fell on her knees in exhaustion.

"Heather!" Zane was by her side in a flash and helped her up.

"Sorry… I really let myself go..." The kunoichi of nature was flustered by her half-assed fighting style.

"Perhaps we can only use our mechs when the Shark Army utilize their own?" Zane suggested.

"But our skills with our weapons have fallen behind. Maybe we should stick to our mechs." The orange kunoichi argued.

"No. This is exactly what Master Wu was talking about," Cole disagreed, "We're forgetting how to fight with our bare hands, hell, even with our weapons. We can't let a bunch of glorified vehicles do all the work. We were able to kick ass on our own and we could do it again if we concentrate on that."

"Guess making those mechs were a bad idea..." Lloyd mused.

"It's not your fault, Lloyd," Kai tried to comfort the green ninja, "No one could resist all that firepower."

"Did you spend all night coming up with that line or did you make a pun without realizing it?"

"What? Oh… I mean yeah. That was totally planned."

"By the way, did something happen between you two?" Luna addressed Kai and Aria, "When we came to the warehouse, you were both avoiding eye contact with each other.

"Oh yeah. You heard of how Kozu finally got arrest -" Nya would've explained.

"Let _me_ explain." Kai said through clenched teeth while smacking her upside the head.

The other ninja sighed, knowing the fire ninja will embellish his tale with his vanity.

"Aria and I were spending time in the city when Kozu and his gang came along and thought that it was a good day to beat us up. Anyone who messes with my looks know they'll be in for a bad time but not that guy. I beat the ever loving crap out of him until -"

"Actually, it was Mom who -" Nya wanted to tell the truth but Kai kept shutting her up.

"Enough about that!" Aria quickly shut down the whole story, "That's all in the past and as Master Wu says, the past is in the past! Now let's get going!"

"What was that about?" Iris was confused by the orange kunoichi's sudden outburst.

"Never mind them," Cole rolled his earthy green eyes, "They'll get over it by next week."

"Nah, give it three days." Heather made a bet out of it.

"Guys, give it a rest," Luna interrupted them, "We shouldn't pry ourselves in Kai or Aria's businesses. We need to leave now. The paparazzi is coming."

The ninja could hear the rush of footsteps and they got the hell out of there before the hordes of nosy reporters and crazy fangirls can see them, grateful for their ninja training.

Seriously, fangirls are scary.

* * *

 **That's it. In the next chapter Kai & Aria will have to confront each other and sort out their feelings. And what other misadventures await the Secret Ninja Force? Tune in to find out!**


	107. The Mask

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Okay, we're finally gonna see Kai & Aria sort out their feelings for each other & we'll see hints of what's to come in future chapters. I've been feeling sick over the last few days but dammit, I'll finish this story even if it kills me. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 106: The Mask

The Secret Ninja Force spent what little time they had left together just chilling, at least most of them. Kai and Aria were still tongue-tied whenever they were in each other's company. They still had these strange feelings and they knew they'll have to speak up eventually. They waited until their comrades were preoccupied to have a moment to themselves at the back of the warehouse.

The red ninja and orange kunoichi still couldn't speak after many moments alone.

'Okay Kai, this is your one chance. It's now our never.' The fire ninja, being the go-getter he is, decided to make the first move.

"Uh… remember what happened… the other day…?" Kai started awkwardly.

"How could I forget?" Aria replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"You… I was surprised you stood up for me… N-not that it's a bad thing..."

"I don't want something like that happening to you again."

"But the thought of something happening to you… I didn't want it to be real."

"I kinda feel the same..."

"How so?"

"When I saw you getting beaten up, I don't know what came over me. All I can think about was trying to help. I couldn't stand seeing you go through all that. I don't want to just stand and watch. I want to make my own choices and find the answers myself."

"I… guess I can see that… When there's so much to this world and you want to see it for yourself… You just gotta go for it..."

"What about you?"

"That's how I feel about this whole ninja stuff. I know it's more than just being badass and beating up people. I also want to protect those important to me."

"Am I important to you?"

Kai couldn't think of an appropriate answer to Aria's question. He definitely felt _something_ for her. He still didn't know what it is

"I already said I didn't want anything to happen to you so… there's that, I guess..."

"That's it?"

"Yeah..."

Aria mused over her and Kai's conversation. She certainly wasn't any closer to discovering what these strange new feelings were but at least she has _some_ closure regarding her and Kai's relationship.

"I… don't hate you." She finally said something about her feelings for him. She didn't want to press her luck but she has a habit of speaking when she shouldn't.

"Is that all I'm gonna get?" Kai raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Pretty much."

"...I don't hate you either..."

"Is that a good or bad thing…?"

"Who knows?"

As awkward as it was, that was good enough for Kai and Aria. When it's time to take the next step into their relationship if they have any, they'll be ready. Or that's what they want to believe.

* * *

Iris was never too lonely in her uncle's apartment. It was good to have the whole place to herself once in a while. Training was done for today, she did all her homework, and cleaned the house. She figured she earned herself a cold glass of homemade mors when she heard her uncle return.

"How was work?" The pink kunoichi greeted him and poured another cup of fresh berry juice for him.

"Same as usual," Karloff graciously accepted his niece's offer, "My coworkers are still trying to find the person who's been eating our lunches even after we put our names on them. I have a hunch it's..."

"Uh… do you think that kind of stuff is appropriate for teens to hear…?"

Karloff paused for a moment before deciding that no, teenage minds wouldn't be able to comprehend life in the office and all the dark, twisted things that go on in there.

"Want me to get started making dinner?"

"Yeah."

Iris and Karloff spent their quality time together talking about their day and how life is going for them while checking out the latest crappy dramas and comedies that dig at the bottom of the barrel. That's pretty much all TV has to offer these days.

"We interrupt this program with some breaking news!" The local news station brought another funny episode of Silicon Field to an abrupt end. The screen switched to one of the reporters standing within the city.

"Fred, I'm standing in the beach within sight of Lord Garmadon's volcano lair," She began her speech, "We made contact with the current leader of the Shark Army and he agreed to have an interview."

Karloff noticed how invested Iris was in the sudden interruption and she was really looking forward to the latest episode of Silicon Field.

"General One, what allowed you to have this exclusive interview with us?" The reporter addressed her unusual guest.

"Our lord and master Garmadon, may he live forever, has now made it his sole mission to unmask the green ninja and the rest of those foolish ninja too," The lackey boasted and praised his boss, before he turned his gaze directly at the screen, "Do you hear

"Lloyd..." Iris whispered without realizing it. Unfortunately, her uncle heard her.

"What does Lloyd have to do with the Shark Army?" He asked.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" His niece rapidly answered with a nervous grin.

"Uh… how about watching a movie instead?" Karloff popped in the Tiger Queen DVD. He had a feeling questioning Iris will get him nowhere. He still believed she knew _something_ and while there isn't much he can do now, he planned to get to the bottom of this one way or another...

* * *

Another storm rained down on Ninjago City but it hardly bothered the Walkers. Ed and Edna worked on the family car while Jay tinkered with some tools that could spruce up the Lightning Jet. Even with the ninja's new rule to only use the mechs when the Shark Army have theirs, it still won't hurt working on them when they're not out on missions.

"Just a little more..." Jay carefully moved the wires until they were attached to the right outlets. Now it's time to see if it worked...

BOOM!

A particularly loud roar of thunder shook the small house. Jay remained hard at work, almost oblivious to the scary noise. It was funny how he was a timid little thing yet thunder and lightning never scared him and that was way before he became associated with it. But never mind that. He was about to turn on his invention when...

"Jay, could you come help us for a sec?" His mother's voice called from the garage.

"In a minute!" The lightning ninja hid the gadget before hurrying to his parents' location. They seemed unaware of his arrival at first, engrossed on repairing the engine.

"What do you need?" Jay asked, finally getting their attention.

"We're trying to fix the engine. We've tried everything but it just won't work." Ed lamented.

"Did you try all your ideas more than once?"

"Yeah, at least three times, but nothing happened."

"Can I see?"

Ed and Edna made way for their son to have a go at fixing the car.

Jay leaned over and inspected the engine's components. He believed his parents tried everything they could because they were never the type to give up so easily when it comes to building stuff and they also like to try out any method they could think of. He could try reworking some of the bolts and but just before he could go through with his ideas, something strange happened…

BOOM!

A sudden jolt of electricity coursed through the engine. Sparks went off so bright all Ed and Edna could see were dizzying stars and Jay was flung far back from the incredible force.

While the family tried to recover, the engine roared to life, the car lights blinked, and the alarm went off. The Walkers weren't even aware of the vehicle's activation until their initial daze faded away. They all stared at the reactivated car in shock and awe.

"Jay, you did it!" Ed praised his son who looked like a mess. His face was blackened with soot and his curly chocolate locks were a mess sticking up everywhere from the static.

"But Mommy, I don't want to go to Aunt Mabel's house today..." Jay's mind was all over the place.

"I knew you could do it! Only my baby could fix something like that!" Edna squeezed her son in a tight bear hug, oblivious to his discomfort.

"What…? Is it that time again…?" The blue ninja was still discombobulated from the reaction.

"Nah, that's not gonna be 'til a couple of weeks. You fixed the engine."

Jay finally got out of his daze and was astonished by what just happened. All he did was reset some of the parts. He didn't even know where that spark came from. He was grateful the car was fixed but he still wanted answers.

"How… Did I really do that…?" He stared at the vehicle with a slight sense of wonder.

Jay thought back on Master Wu's speech of the ninja mastering their elements. If he can really control lightning then what if that spark…

'Nah. It was just the engine acting up.' The lightning ninja dismissed his theory. He's done more than enough tinkering for today. He'll have plenty of time to question all this tomorrow.

* * *

One of the few times Lloyd and Koko can relax and be a normal family was dinnertime. While feasting on his mother's homemade hand-rolled sushi, the green ninja became curious. Garmadon was always an evil asshole and while he didn't know much of his mother's past, he wondered why she chose him of all people.

"Mom?" He spoke up.

"What is it, sweetie?" Koko heard him out.

"Do you ever look back and think… 'Wow, did I really do that?'…?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know… Garmadon was already an evil warlord when you met and..."

"And…?"

"What did you see in him?"

Koko knew her son will ask her this eventually. The memories came flooding back. It felt like yesterday when she first laid eyes on the red-eyed warmonger, her thoughts of him have certainly changed over the years. She decided to start from the beginning.

"I was still a foolish young maiden back then. I couldn't help but be impressed by how strong-willed he was. Even if it was for evil purposes, he was a hard worker and I commended him for that. No person is exactly as they seem and I learned that through him. We all have our good and bad traits. It's really all about finding the perfect balance. Garmadon just couldn't achieve that and I… I..."

Koko was still just as guilt-ridden as she was when she left her paramour.

"Mom, are you gonna be okay…?"

"Yeah… All that is in the past. I've moved on."

Lloyd didn't wholly trust his own mother. She didn't appear to be at peace when she said that. He can only imagine how tough it is for her and he didn't want to put any more stress on her. All he can do for the moment is cherish what good things he has. Journeying to the past will have to wait.

* * *

Another day, another mission. Garmadon led a sizable legion of minions on foot. Luckily, the civilians' cries for help didn't go unanswered for long. The ninja came to save the day.

"We don't have our mechs so don't hold back." Cole whispered to the team.

"But what if we mess up?" Aria was still not exactly confident with her current level of skill.

"Suck it up buttercup." Iris bluntly answered.

"ATTACK!"

The Shark Army obeyed their master's order and charged.

"NINJA-GO!"

The green ninja went after the dark lord himself while the others dealt with the Shark Army.

Zane climbed atop the nearest object that could give him a good vantage point. The Hot Dog Man was displeased that his beloved cart was being treated as nothing more than a tool for the ninja. The white ninja was oblivious to the vendor's annoyance and was completely focused on the enemies. He sought out any weak spots within the hordes. Once he spotted an opening, he released an arrow. The initially insignificant projectile buzzed through the air and struck the armor of one of the minions. The whole army turned their attention to the white ninja, who knew he had to move fast.

"No! Not my hot dogs!" The poor Hot Dot Man mourned the loss of his third cart in a month.

"Sorry!" The ice ninja managed to apologize amidst the chaos.

Nya used the wide range of her spear to keep the Shark Army at bay. She felt someone's back against hers and glanced at Jay, who also used his kusarigama to keep his distance from the enemies.

"Looks like we're in this together!" The kunoichi of water didn't mind working with the timid ninja.

"Y-yeah…!" What little exposed skin of Jay's face was redder than a fresh rose. Much to his relief, the silver kunoichi didn't see it and was focused on subduing enemy forces.

Kai and Aria hardly left each other's side while they wailed on the Shark Army.

"This kinda feels like deja vu, doesn't it?" Aria reminisced in the middle of battle.

"We just got over all that drama! Don't bring it up again!" Kai quickly shut her down.

The red and orange pair didn't exchange words but knew they were now there for each other and that was more than enough to motivate them to get through this battle together.

Lloyd and Garmadon were in the middle of a duel of swords. The clanging echoes of blades hitting one another got almost everyone's attention. The rest of the ninja can't afford to get distracted. While they were busy keeping the Shark Army busy, the green ninja and dark lord were embroiled in their duel.

"I've been hoping this day would come," Garmadon growled through his sharp teeth, "I just wouldn't have thought it would be so soon."

"Well it didn't come soon enough!" Lloyd swung his sword, separating the blades for a moment.

The dark lord snarled and attacked his enemy again. The clash of swords was heated and fueled by the enemies' deep hatred of one another. Garmadon's sword swung a little too close for Lloyd's liking and he can feel the blade slice through something on his face. The green ninja stepped back, clutching his face, inspecting a wet sensation but his skin was dry.

Skin?

Lloyd fingered his mask and he felt a tear in the fabric and his heart started to race. He can't reveal his face to him, not so soon. His thoughts were interrupted by a fierce roar from the dark lord. The green ninja couldn't decide on his next move until the enemy was dangerously close. He barely had time to roll away from the path of the warlord's black blade.

Lloyd clumsily climbed back onto his feet and attempted to strike again but his aim was terrible.

The green ninja struggled to fight with his sword as long as he held his other hand to his mask to keep it from falling apart and ran away whenever Garmadon attacked.

"What are you doing!?" Cole was confused by his leader's sudden incompetence.

"Guys! We have to retreat!" Lloyd commanded his team.

"What!?" Iris was flabbergasted by his decision. This wasn't like him at all...

"NOW!"

Lloyd was already running away from the battlefield and the ninja were divided over what to do. Half of them felt compelled to follow Lloyd while the other half wanted to stay and fight.

"No! Stay and fight damn you!" Kai hollered when Cole hoisted him up and followed Lloyd.

"We can't work together if we all can't make an agreement!" The earth ninja forced those who sought to continue the battle to join up with their leader.

This was beyond humiliating. Lloyd now wished the ground will open up and swallow him whole. They lost and it's all because he was too scared to show his true face to the dark lord, his own father and he just incurred the wrath of his teammates.

Now that he was safe in the ninja stronghold, Lloyd finally took off his mask to inspect the damage.

The tear Garmadon made had gotten worse and now it almost reached the bottom hem.

"You got all worked up because of _that_!?" Heather couldn't believe her eyes.

"We are sworn to a vow of secrecy," Zane defended the green ninja, "I understand his urgency to keep his true face concealed."

"I'll fix it up right away." Iris offered though she didn't hide her annoyance either.

"How are you gonna do that?"

"Did you forget the time Master Wu forced us to make our own uniforms?"

Jay collapsed into a trembling mess. All the memories he repressed in the darkest recesses of his mind have come back to haunt him. The pain of being stabbed by needles was the source of trauma for the poor guy. The blue-eyed ninja even cried when it was all too much for him.

Even Zane found himself rubbing his hands, expecting to find holes in the artificial skin of his fingers.

"Now look what you've done to Jay." Nya tried to comfort her traumatized friend.

"I'm sorry, sheesh." The pink kunoichi gave a half-assed apology and looked for any sewing tools. Good thing Master Wu didn't discard them when she came across an old kit lingering in the base. She went straight to work fixing the mask.

"Thanks..." Lloyd reclaimed his mask, now no longer looking the worse for wear. He was really grateful but something about Iris fixing it was bugging him, "You didn't really have to do that though..."

"And then what? Let someone else find out our secret?" Iris retorted, "Even if we end up revealing our faces one day, today would be way too early."

"Good point." Luna agreed.

"And there was that breaking news of General One claiming Garmadon's now focused on unmasking us. We'll have to be more careful keeping our identities a secret." Cole suggested.

"We're as careful as we've always been! How could we get any _more_ careful!?" Kai ranted.

"We must also be mindful that Garmadon will want to unmask us. We cannot take the Shark Army so lightly." Zane advised.

The ninja and kunoichi have already been through so many misadventures together. It's only a matter of times before things really get serious.

At least there won't be as much useless filler stuff this time… Hopefully...

* * *

Heather waited for Zane in the middle of the city as part of their agreement to hang out this weekend. She immediately figured out something was wrong. She checked the time and it was several minutes past noon, the time they were to meet. Man or machine, Zane was a very punctual person. If the ninja were to meet at one seventeen, he would arrive at that very minute.

The kunoichi of nature considered calling him but in the end, she didn't have to.

The nindroid eventually showed up but something wasn't right. His default blissful face was distorted in an expression of great unease. Something terrible must have happened...

"Zane, what's wrong?" Heather cut to the chase once she got a good look at his face.

"I saw something..." Zane whispered.

"What are you talking about?" The teal kunoichi was still puzzled.

"It was during the night. My optics were shut and I was in sleep mode and yet… I still saw..." The white ninja muttered.

"Seeing something in your sleep? Zane, you were dreaming."

"How is that possible? Machines do not dream..."

"I thought you wanted to be more than just a machine."

"I still go by logic and me dreaming does not seem logical..."

"But you did see something, right? Why is it bothering you?"

"Do you really want me to describe it? What if it also -"

"Really, I don't mind."

The white ninja sighed and fell silent for many moments. Whether or not he'll describe his 'dream' to Heather won't make much of a difference. At the very least, he should be honest with her.

"I saw… Ninjago City… and the mechs… All were in ruins until I heard laughter… And there was nothing mirthful about that sound… It was triumphant yet… sinister..." Zane began describing his vision.

Heather was confused but it's too early to judge and let him go uninterrupted.

"A giant shadow loomed over the ruins… I cannot quite make out the shape… I do not know why but I feel nothing but fear of this… thing… And then… I was awake."

Heather knew she won't be able to comfort the humanoid. She doesn't have visions of the future and any of that stuff so she'll never know the troubles Zane's dream caused for him.

"Maybe you should talk with Master Wu?" The kunoichi of nature suggested.

"Your suggestion seems sound. However, I do not know if speaking with him will offer relief." Even the ever-polite ice ninja was aware of his teacher's excessive purple prose about that kind of stuff, "I also apologize for ruining the mood for what was supposed to be a pleasant outing."

"Not at all. We can't help all the things that happen to us."

"That is true… But I cannot get rid of this incredible unease..."

"You know, no one can predict the future and you shouldn't take your dreams literally. If it makes you feel any better… No matter what happens, I'll be with you. We'll all stick together."

"Heather… thank you for your support."

Whether or not his nightmare will come to pass, at least Zane has his friends to be there for him...

* * *

 **Yeah, that's pretty much it tonight. Again, I appreciate your reviews & support & I'll see you later.**


	108. I Gotta Believe

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Sorry I'm late but here's the next chapter! This one will focus on the different relationships between the original ninja/kunoichi pairs from the TV universe & it's also gonna be laced with humor. So sit back & please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 107: I Gotta Believe

Cole and Luna found themselves hanging out together in the city. Nothing was going on at the music club lately and training won't be in a couple of hours. Luna had no idea why she was with Cole in the first place. She used to like it but now… she felt nothing. Not in the literal sense. Being with the strong ninja was no longer any different than being with her friends and the other ninja. Even if it's gone now, she still wasn't sure if those feelings she had were something special… What if it's…

"Luna!" Cole's voice brought her psyche back into the real world.

"W-what…?" The kunoichi of sound felt her heart race.

"Do you ever feel like… when you're with someone… there's something special…?"

The black ninja's thoughts drifted to a certain someone for a split second. That person wasn't relevant right now and he wondered why the shy girl would ask something like that all of a sudden. Unless...

"Did you feel something… for me?"

"I-I mean… you're still a great guy but… Something changed..."

"What changed?"

"I-it's not you…! Wait! That's not what I meant! I-I-I…"

"Luna, what are you getting at?"

"Again, you're a good person to hang out with but back then… I got excited whenever I had a chance to be with you. I still like being with you. It's just..." Luna really wanted to tell Cole how she felt but no matter what, she had trouble being honest around him.

"Just what? Spit it out already!" Even someone as laid-back as Cole has his limits.

"I-it's nothing!"

"Really? That's it?"

"No and that's the thing! I don't feel anything special anymore!" The kunoichi of sound blurted out.

The black ninja was speechless and his face was devoid of any emotion.

'Oh god, he probably hates me!' The purple kunoichi's self-consciousness rapidly consumed her. Luna can hear her own heart beat rapidly, feel sweat run down her face, and her lungs fighting for oxygen.

Seeing Cole's hand reaching out to her frightened the timid girl and she ran off, not bothering to hear what he had to say. She didn't stop running until her house was in sight and she still kept running until she was supposedly safe in her room. Luna collapsed onto her bed and stared at the walls and posters surrounding her.

'I can't do it! I just can't! I'm such a coward!' The purple kunoichi banged her fist against her pillow in a frustration towards herself.

Even if she didn't feel anything special for Cole anymore, she didn't want him to hate her either. That only made it all the more confusing. If he was no different than anyone else, why would she still care about his opinion of her?

'Is it possible to fall _out_ of love with someone? Was it even love at all?'

Luna was shocked that she assumed she felt love.

Love isn't supposed to hurt… is it…?

And even if it isn't, if someone felt something special with another, how could it fade away?

Something wet rolled down the corner of her eye. And her face was soon soaked in her tears. The shy girl was now crying against her own will. She didn't understand why she was shedding tears. She was sad but not enough to want to cry. Even she was confused by her own self.

She really is a piece of work.

* * *

Heather and Iris shared a light snack at the Petite Corner well into the afternoon. The violet-eyed girl had a sneaking suspicion as to why her teammate wanted to come here at this time. Not helping was the teal kunoichi's meticulous wardrobe today.

Heather wore a white blouse with a thin ribbon in the center of the chest and delicate short sleeves as well as a tiered skirt with patterned with pastel flowers. She even went so far as to wear a bracelet of beads, an anklet, and a necklace with a rose charm. And lastly, she wore her hair down from its usual bun, letting it fall to the middle of her back though she kept her bangs tidy with a white headband. It's almost like she was supposed to go on a...

"You know, there's no reason for you to dress like that." Iris pointed out while sipping her cafe mocha.

"Says the girl always wearing Sweet Lolita clothes all the time." The freckled girl retorted.

…

"Touche," Iris complied at first but Heather's relief was very short, "Hey, wait a damn minute! Don't go thinking you're getting out of this so easily!"

"Iris, stop making such a big deal out of this. You don't even care if anyone looks at you weird with all that get-up so why should I?" Heather crossed her arms defiantly.

"I bet you're dressed to impress someone," The kunoichi of metal smirked, "Someone like..."

Zane tidied himself up after a hard day of work in the kitchen. He didn't mind all the work as long as it made others happy.

"We'll see you again tomorrow." The rest of the staff bade the robot chef farewell for today.

The nindroid observed the patrons enjoying their meals while making his way to the door and seeing their smiles made all the hard work worthwhile. That and he saw two familiar faces near the entrance.

"Zane! Over here!" Heather waved to get the android's attention.

The nindroid obediently walked over to the girls though he wondered why Iris had a strange smile.

"Greetings, friends." The white ninja spoke as politely as ever. He didn't seem aware of the change in Heather's wardrobe.

"I told you dressing up wouldn't make a difference." Heather smugly whispered to Iris.

The pink kunoichi scowled but she'll prove her wrong.

"It is a pleasant surprise to see both of you here." Zane now stood right next to the girls' table.

"It was Heather's idea to come here." Iris blurted out and then yelped.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" The ice ninja was alarmed by the violet-eyed girl's sudden reaction.

"N-nothing..." The pink kunoichi tried not to wince over the lingering pain from Heather kicking her in the shin underneath the table. She better not have ruined her stocking.

"I have finished my shift and there are approximately one hundred minutes before training. Would you like to spend time together before we meet with Master Wu?" Zane suggested.

"Sure." Heather accepted before Iris could have her say about the nindroid's offer. Despite not getting to voice her opinion, the kunoichi of metal wasn't complaining...

* * *

Iris felt like a third wheel trudging behind Heather and Zane chatting it up. They seemed so happy and it wouldn't surprise her if they take the next step though they may need an extra push. The wheels in her head started to turn. The greatest plan ever was forming in her mind.

"Iris, are you not going to accompany us?" Zane looked back at the kunoichi of metal who lingered in the distance.

"Actually, Uncle said he wanted me back home before two hours pass." The girly girl came up with an alibi and slowly backed away.

"But it's barely been one hour -" Heather tried to call out Iris on her little game.

"Oh will you look at the time! I better be going!" The pink kunoichi maintained her annoying charade and seemingly left the pair to their devices.

"Okay! See you later!" The naive Zane cheerfully waved goodbye to her.

'What's her problem?' Heather was vexed by Iris' weird behavior today. At least she's gone.

Once Iris was a good distance away, her brain cooked up another crazy idea. She might not live to see the end results but hey, you only live once.

'You know what? No one's gonna live forever. If I'm gonna die right now, I have no regrets!'

Neither Zane nor Heather had a chance to react to the kunoichi of metal rushing towards them.

Iris suddenly shoved Zane towards Heather. The android swung his arms like windmills to maintain his balance but he fell forward anyway. The flower-loving human caught him before he could keel over. As for Iris, she was already running faster than a cheetah, cackling all the way.

"IRIS!" Heather exploded, "I'M GONNA BEAT YOU UP SO BAD EVEN MAGGOTS WOULDN'T WANT TO TOUCH YOUR FREAKIN' CORPSE!"

"Heather…!" Zane was astonished by not only Heather's threat but also their positions.

Only now did Heather truly realize her position. Her back was against the wall of one of the buildings while Zane was still leaning over her. Her hands were pressed up against his chest and his touched the brick and cement by each side of her head. Their faces were so close Zane could count each and every freckle on Heather's face and Heather could see the tiniest details in Zane's icy blue optics. They were basically reenacting a cliché anime scene. Soon, there were sparkly bubbles surrounding them as well.

"Dammit Justin! The bubble machine's broken again! And there's still glitter everywhere!" The staff of the nearby movie theater _still_ haven't gotten to fixing that thing.

"S-sorry…!" Heather tried to squirm her way out but Zane was frozen in his position, "Uh… you won't mind getting out of way, would you?"

"Oh! My apologies!" Zane stepped back to allow the kunoichi of nature escape from the confinement he unintentionally put her through. He could hear her still muttering threats on Iris' life as she dusted herself off.

Neither Zane nor Heather could forget what happened so easily. They were never _that_ close before. It was something they would've never thought they'll experience.

"I… would have never expected something like that..." The white ninja uttered.

"Yeah..." The kunoichi of nature rubbed her hands together. The memory of Zane's sweater against the palms of her hands were still fresh in her mind. She could still feel the soft fabric against her hands.

"Heather?" Zane sensed the human girl's flustered demeanor.

"Uh… Let's just go home and we shall never speak of this again." Heather slowly backed away.

"Why?" Zane tilted his head, wondering what was so terrible about their predicament that they must never address it again. True, even he didn't expect it and it wasn't something he wasn't keen on going through a second time… for a while.

"We can just have fun repressing this awful memory into our subconscious and just act like we usually do together! Hehe..." The freckled girl chuckled nervously and she can only maintain a false smile for a few seconds before darting her grayish-blue eyes everywhere except for the android in front of her.

"May I suggest engaging in a more calming activity?" Zane suggested.

"Really, I should be heading home as well… I'm not feeling so good..."

"I understand. I will also see you later."

No sooner had Zane finished talking that the teal kunoichi was out of here, leaving nothing but a trail of dust. The nindroid stood alone in a state of deep confusion. She seemed eager to spend time with him and now, she was avoiding him like the dark lord himself. It wasn't dissimilar to the times humans avoided him for being a robot.

'No,' Zane dismissed the concept, 'Heather will never do something like that. She sees me for me.'

However, one thing he knew for certain was that this was one crazy ass day.

No, really. A random donkey trotted into the middle of the city and was suffering from rabies.

* * *

"And then the engine blasted me across the garage!" Jay recapped his electrifying experience with his family's car to Nya.

"I would've liked to see that." The kunoichi of water chuckled.

"Nah. You wouldn't want to see me looking completely banged up from that mess."

"Maybe you could help me work on my motorcycle one day."

"A-are you sure?" Jay's heart went a mile a minute, "I-I mean… I told you my family doesn't make a lot of amazing stuff. I probably can't do much with your motorcycle… Um..."

"And you still believe that after helping make all the mechs?"

"It was Lloyd who did most of the work."

"But you still helped a lot. We couldn't have gotten them done in time without you. You need to have more confidence in yourself."

"What good would that do?"

"If you're gonna keep putting yourself down, you'll never become an inventor or whatever you want to be. You gotta just have at least _some_ sense of self-worth."

"But I don't want to sound like Kai."

At this point, Nya's had enough. Jay was a really sweet guy deep down but his weak-willed disposition was getting on her nerves.

"You're not gonna be like Kai!" The volume of her voice intimidated the blue ninja, "You've done a lot of stuff only you can do! You probably made a ton of inventions at home and you were able to fix Zane when he got messed up from that taser! And you _still_ think you're just a nobody!?"

Jay was taken aback by Nya's outburst. He listened to everything she said. He was just intimidated by how loud she got.

"I… I don't know…?" The lightning ninja stuttered.

"Jay, you're one of the ninja who keep Garmadon from taking over the city, a member of the auto club who's always there to fix anything that goes wrong, and son of a family of inventors! You've done a lot of great things and I know you can still do it!"

"How would you know?"

"I _really_ hate to be cliched but… I believe in you."

"Really…? Cuz' I don't believe in me… I also don't know how..."

"I don't know if I can help you on that but..." Nya muttered, "At least I know someone who can help!" The kunoichi of water stepped aside to reveal none other than N-Pop Girl.

"Now don't start un-believing on me!" The perky idol posed, "I'm gonna make all of Ninjago believe!"

"Believe in what?" Jay was completely befuddled by the celebrity's sudden appearance.

"Believe!" N-Pop Girl shouted, startling the little guy.

A random stage was completely set up within seconds and the super cute idol belted out a medley of all her super catchy songs about believing. Waves of fans flocked to her performances and the mood was all happy and festive. Fireworks went off and the crowds were going wild.

" _Now_ do you believe?" Nya asked Jay once the impromptu concert was over.

"Those songs were nice and all but… I still don't believe in myself..." The blue ninja mumbled shyly.

"Oh my god! How could someone _not_ change after listening to a few songs!?"

"I'm sorry! I can't suddenly believe in just one day!"

Nya can only sigh in exasperation. She saw the potential Jay had and if only he can see it too. Getting him to see that will be less likely than Cole not playing his music for at least ten minutes. She's gonna have her work cut out for her but she's Hinata Nya. She won't stop until she gets the job done and she will make it absolutely perfect. She'll see this through to the end alive even if it kills her.

* * *

As always, part of being a ninja was to train the body and mind every single day.

Master Wu watched his students train, including trying to do Spinjitzu. They were still so naive. It will take much more than physical practice to master Spinjitzu. It will take something very special for each of them, something not even he can predict. All he knows is that the time will come when...

"Uncle, can I talk with you for a bit?" Lloyd approached his relative, interrupting his inner thoughts.

"What would you like to tell me?" Wu didn't mind the intrusion. He patiently sat himself down before his nephew to have a chat with him.

"I was thinking about why we're doing this stuff… and why you planned all this," The green ninja finally conveyed all the things that's been nagging his mind for ages, "If you want to save Ninjago, why can't you just do it yourself? And why do you think a bunch of teenagers will have what it takes? Shouldn't you look for other people who were willing to do all this in the first place?"

Master Wu hesitated and the silence almost suffocated Lloyd but it was to be expected. He needed to get in the mood before telling of his many tales of the past.

"The history of Ninjago is one full of conflict, chaos, and destruction," Wu began one of his trademark lengthy speeches, "There were many people who were in your positions, protecting those who can't protect themselves, facing off against the forces of evil, and simply trying to live their lives. Things may appear peaceful at the moment but Garmadon is always lying in wait, planning his next move. There are also other things beyond the city that are dangerous."

"Such as…?"

"Those are stories for another day."

"It won't be long before Ninjago is plunged into discord once again. It is part of a vicious cycle and you might just be the one to break the chains that bind this world to such a fate."

"Can't anyone else do that? If you want to change the world so badly, why don't you do it yourself?"

"I have done many things in my long life. I did what I could to lead Ninjago to an existence full of law and order but I have also done many terrible things. The lessons I've learned the hard way have stayed with me more than any other. I don't want you to go through that but such is the way of life."

"So what you're telling me is... you expect a bunch of teens to clean up _your_ messes?"

Lloyd's words made Master Wu feel things he hadn't felt in years.

"My hands are too old and tainted to make any more changes to Ninjago. There must be a beacon of hope in these trying times."

"Yeah. Making someone the whole world hates as its beacon of hope sounds real smooth." The green ninja rolled his matching eyes.

"Nothing is as it seems. That is why you must discover your own destiny and make a difference."

"I can't!"

"Why not? What's stopping you?"

Lloyd was now tongue-tied. He really hated all the rhetorical questions his uncle always dished back. He also hated whenever he had a good point even more.

'Why do I keep doing this?'

Lloyd realized he could quit any time he wants as long as he didn't give a damn about what the others think. His friends' opinions and bonds with him wasn't preventing him from leaving. He actually didn't have a clue what it is that's making him stay. He knew he can be stubborn and there's something he's after. He had a hunch but the idea disgusted him. He isn't _that_ desperate.

"You make your own choices and I will not hold anything against them. You will carve your own path. I have made mine. You are all in charge of your own decisions and your destiny. All I want is for you all to not have the same experiences as me."

"Maybe we won't if you tell us what you went through."

"Tell us what?" A third voice joined in on the conversation.

Only now did Master Wu and Lloyd realize that the other ninja have overheard their conversation and now hovered over them. Wu sighed and braced himself for a bombardment of questions, complaints, and whatever else the rest of the Secret Ninja Force have to say. Just as he predicted, nine new voices joined in all at once. While the sagely old man was used to it, Lloyd was getting aggravated.

"Guys! Talking to Master Wu won't do us any good! We should just train and beat up Garmadon until he's gone forever!" Lloyd dismissed his teammates' rants, inadvertently giving his uncle some space.

Things have quieted down yet Master Wu's psyche was anything but tranquil.

Master Wu mused over what his nephew told him and everything he's done up to this point.

It's true it wasn't his place to tell Lloyd and even the other ninja of such things after what he had done over the eons. Even to this day, he could never bring himself to speak of them. All he can bring himself to do for now is prepare his students for an uncertain future.

There's no turning back.

* * *

Garmadon gazed at the fantastic view of the city from his office. He couldn't get over how strange the green ninja behaved when he almost sliced his face off. It shouldn't be too surprising, given that brat wouldn't have survived. Yet it still bugged him.

'Never mind,' The dark lord shook off his suspicions, 'I'm so close now. I can't make any mistakes. Not like _he_ did.'

The dark lord too made his fair share of bad choices while growing up but that's not who he is. At least not anymore. He is the rightful ruler of Ninjago and nothing will stop him from claiming what's his, not even his parents' son or that pesky green ninja.

'Or her for that matter...' Garmadon's cold glare briefly softened when the image of her popped up.

No. He can't get distracted by a bunch of frivolities that have no effects on him whatsoever. He must stay focused.

Ninjago City will never know what hit it…

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter. And yeah, Cole & Luna probably won't hook up which I planned before this story was published. I might do a separate one-shot for the 'closure' of their relationship very soon but tell me what you think & as always, please review.**


	109. Opposites Don't Attract

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hey guys! This chapter's gonna be pretty long today because it's gonna have a little bit of everything. Action, drama, humor, friendship, you name it! It's all here! I understand we're all waiting for Meowthra but don't worry. We'll get to that part eventually. Now sit back, relax, & enjoy this shitshow!**

* * *

Chapter 108: Opposites Don't Attract

Garmadon attacked yet another residential area in Ninjago City and it's up to the ninja to stop him and his underlings from terrorizing the neighborhoods of the east districts.

Today, the ninja of ice and fire teamed up to keep the dark lord's goals from coming to fruition. It was a little strange given how different they were and not just because of their elements.

"NINJA-GO!" The duo put their differences aside and work together for today's mission.

Kai went ahead and fought head-to-head with the Shark Army with his twin swords and Zane kept his distance for his arrows to fly.

Zane fired his arrows at any enemies that would've taken advantage of Kai's inability to concentrate on anything else besides the enemies right in front of him. Both of them haven't forgotten about their job to defend the citizens either. They fended off the Shark Army while leading the frightened residents of their once quaint neighborhood away from the scene.

"That's the last of them!" Kai affirmed everyone was safe upon guiding the last family out of danger.

The dark lord suddenly landed right in front of the fire and ice ninja.

"Don't think you've won yet!" Garmadon growled at the pair, "You'll have to go through me!"

Kai didn't hesitate to face the dark lord himself head on, ignoring Zane's plea to control his temper.

Garmadon found himself in another duel of swords. This time, it was with the hot-blooded red ninja.

While the fire ninja had two katana, Garmadon had years of experience fighting with a sword. The ice ninja watched them exchange blows with their swords. The clang of metal colliding with one another and the duelists' battle cries were all the nindroid can hear.

'Why am I not doing anything? I should be helping Kai and uphold my duty!' Zane shook himself out of his befuddled state and made his move.

Zane ran for a far vantage point and had one hand already clutching an arrow. Kai and Garmadon were now locked in position. The edges of their swords shook from all the friction as one tried to overpower the other. Fiery amber and blood red never parted while icy blue calculated the right time to strike. He readied one arrow and waited for a chance to tip the scale in the red ninja's favor.

"I think it's best you just get out of my way." Garmadon glowered but the red ninja didn't waver.

"Then maybe you should get your brain checked." The fiery vigilante dished back.

Meanwhile, Zane still waited for an opportune moment to strike. Kai and Garmadon were seemingly stuck in the same position until at last, the former looked like he'll prevail. He pushed the four-armed warmonger's sword away with his two katana, even if just a tiny bit. If there was some way to get the dark lord to falter, the ninja may have a chance of ending his attacks on Ninjago for good.

'It is time to do or die!' The white ninja swiftly made his decision.

Zane let go of the arrow, letting it fly towards its target and hope for the best.

Much to the white ninja's horror, Garmadon became aware of his interference at the last second. The arrow continued to fly and there was not enough time for the humanoid to do anything about it. The dark lord allowed himself to appear distracted and the sudden loss of resistance caused his adversary to fall forward. Everything happened in slow motion for all three involved in the fight. The arrow kept flying but with Garmadon out of the way it instead nearly hit Kai. The tiny blade at the tip of the arrow barely grazed the edge of one of the fire ninja's blades as well as his chest, ripping the red fabric.

'No…!' Zane was terrified at what he had just done.

"You!" Garmadon snarled at the white ninja and began marching over to him.

"Oh no you don't!" Kai wrestled the dark lord to the ground before he could do any harm to his ally.

Kai and Garmadon tumbled and exchanged blows. This time, Zane knew not to fire any arrows unless he wants to cause another accident. The fire ninja hurled a slew of insults that won't look good on fine print and Garmadon growled and roared like a feral beast.

The dark lord balled up all four fists and punched the red ninja in the face, chest, stomach, and groin. The brutal pain of being hit in four different places at once wasn't something Kai was used to. Much to his own humiliation, he can't withstand the terrible sensations any longer and collapsed in a crumpled heap. Garmadon took this as his chance to escape but Zane wasn't letting him go so easily. The white ninja shot a bunch of arrows and some of them hit and ricochet off his armor.

"Next time we meet, you won't be so lucky! This isn't over yet!" Garmadon gave a final warning before disappearing back to his lair.

"Will it ever be over…?" Zane sighed to himself. The ninja have fallen into yet another cycle of fending off the dark lord only for the peace to be temporary.

A groan distracted the humanoid from his inner thoughts and he remembered his ally.

"Kai…!" The ice ninja hurried to check on his teammate and helped him get back on his feet. Even with his face mostly concealed, one look at those fiery amber orbs made Zane know Kai was _pissed_ at him.

"Why did you do that!? I could've had him!" The fire ninja immediately gave the ice ninja hell for what he did.

"I am sorry but I cannot let you put your life at risk." The white ninja explained his course of action.

"So what!? Taking risks is a part of life! Master Wu said so himself!" Kai still wasn't having any of it.

"It was too dangerous for you to face him alone as you are now!" The ice ninja reminded his comrade of the perils that could've befallen him.

"Why would you care!?"

"We are supposed to work together as a team and I cannot let you put yourself in danger like that. It is my duty to protect others, even my teammates."

"Do you ever think about anything besides your 'duties' for once!?"

"I… I just could not bear the thought of you being harmed by Garmadon… I was meant to serve -"

"Don't give me that 'protect others who can't protect themselves' bullshit!" The fire ninja interrupted his comrade, "If you claim you're more than just a machine, then at least act like it!"

Zane would've never thought he'd hear words like those come out of Kai's mouth. He felt like he was hurt yet he didn't suffer from any wounds. It felt like all those times he was ostracized by society.

Maybe Kai never truly accepted him...

"Kai... I -" Zane tried to speak again.

"Shut up! Just… shut the hell up! You'll never understand how much this means to all of us! You blew our one chance to get rid of Garmadon for good! I don't even want to be seen with you!" Kai exploded and stomped off by himself.

The nindroid was taken aback by the fire ninja's outburst. He wanted to apologize but sensed the fire ninja wanted nothing to do with him. He'll have to find another route back to the stronghold. Even if they make it back, it won't be easy for them to work together. Master Wu often talked about how the differences between people can connect them but the way things are now…

Fire and ice really are too different to accept one another...

* * *

"In today's forecast, we'll have a clear sunny day today so no need to bring out your umbrellas! There will be nothing but sunshine and fun at the beach!" NTV predicted a lovely warm day for the people of Ninjago City...

And minutes later, it was raining cats and dogs.

Cole was just annoyed by the weather report's wrong prediction. Each little drop of rain ran down the large muscles of his exposed arms. He didn't care about the discomfort of getting wet from the rain or even the chills occasionally running down his spine. Even if he were stuck in the middle of a blizzard, he'd rather wear a sleeveless top than any other clothing for the upper body.

At least this was the one day he forgot to take his radio with him so there's that.

The earth ninja never really cared what kind of predicament he'd find himself in. The one good thing about growing up with an overbearing father is that soon, you just stop caring. The earth ninja strolled onward while everyone else scrambled to find shelter. By now, his clothes were soaked and stuck like a second layer of skin and his thick ebony locks clung to his cranium and blocked his eyes. Besides that, there wasn't a whole lot to do here and he was tired of walking around aimlessly. He soon happened upon a vacant bench and thought he might as well. His clothes were already soaked and he didn't give a damn if people look at him weird. The earth ninja sat himself down and continued watching the rest of the world go by.

Cole didn't know when he closed his eyes but all he knew was that one moment, his body was getting drenched by the rain and the next, he couldn't feel the rain beating down on his skin anymore. Maybe some foolish soul took pity on him or it was just some random object looming over him. Still, the earth ninja's curiosity got the better of him.

He opened his earthy green eyes to see...

Zane sensed the atmospheric signs of impending rainfall during the incorrect weather report. The ice ninja opted to take an umbrella with him in spite of the bright sunshine. He didn't mind the perplexed looks passersby gave him until he sensed the first drops of rain fall from the sky. Within minutes, the city was bombarded by a heavy downpour of rain. While everyone scrambled for sanctuary from the sudden precipitation, Zane went about his day under the shelter of his umbrella though he offered to share his privilege with anyone willing to accept it.

The humanoid saw a familiar figure sitting out in the open and under the rain. Letting his curiosity take over, his optics zoomed in on them. He quickly recognized this supposed stranger and went to shield them with his umbrella.

The person opened their earthy green eyes to see...

"Zane?" Cole was greeted with the sight of a certain nindroid before him.

Zane held his umbrella above his teammate's head, shielding the already soaked ninja from the heavy rain, even if it meant getting wet himself.

"I recommend wearing something that will hide your arms if you do not wish to fall ill." The humanoid was as sweet as ever.

"I'll be fine." Cole brushed off his concerns.

"Your body temperature is three degrees lower than what is considered healthy. I recommend finding something more suitable for this weather or at least something to cover your arms."

"What about you? You're gonna get wet."

"As long as my artificial skin has no tears for any water to get in, I will be in no immediate danger."

Cole didn't bother saying anything, knowing Zane won't back down. In a way, the nindroid wasn't that different from Kai of all people. Speaking of which, they didn't come back together after their mission the other day and things have been tense between them since...

"Was there any particular destination you were going to?" Zane allowed his curiosity to speak for him.

"Not really…" The black ninja shrugged and went on his way, only for the humanoid to follow him, still holding the umbrella above his head.

"Since you're here now, maybe we can stop by the mall. There's lots of stuff to do there."

"Then I shall accompany you."

"Nah, you probably have other things to do."

"No. I have plenty of time, though I feel a slight sense of disappointment."

"What? Why?"

"I do not see your radio anywhere and I would have liked to listen to this rock and/or roll."

"Don't worry. The mall has plenty of stuff to listen to some rock with."

The pair walked side by side, shielded by the umbrella. At least ice and earth coexist peacefully.

* * *

Iris watched Jay work on the Volk Titan during the ninja's break from training. While they now only use their mechs when the threat level matches their power, it still wouldn't hurt working on them, right?

"The laser cannon's nice and all but it'd be nice if it didn't take so long to charge." Iris bemoaned the amazing yet time-consuming might of the mechanical wolf.

"And that's why I'm working on it." Jay tinkered with the mech's control panel.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Heather became curious and wanted to see what's going on.

"What are you doing?" The teal kunoichi's voice startled Iris and Jay, the latter dropping some tools.

"Heather! Don't do that!" Jay complained. Fortunately, the control panel didn't suffer any damage.

"Jay's trying to cut the charging time for the Volk Titan's cannon."

"Why? It works doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but waiting for so long gets really annoying."

"I understand but that's not necessarily a bad thing is it? If it's not broken, why fix it?" Heather asked.

"You never know what Garmadon and his lackeys are gonna do. They could ambush Iris and her mech while the thing is charging up. You should know how risky it is." Jay answered.

"Well _sorry_ for not being as tech-savvy." The kunoichi of nature rolled her eyes and left.

"Never mind her," Iris brushed her off, "Just keep going."

Jay hesitated for a bit but soon complied. He wondered if he and Heather will ever get along. She was associated with the natural world while he was a tech geek through and through. He can only hope it won't be as bad as Kai and Zane...

* * *

Iris was already moody when she left the apartment so she can get to school. Of all the possible days for Karloff to come down with a flu, today was the day her first class will be having an important exam that will effect her grade this quarter. With her uncle unable to drive her to school, she'll be late and fail the upcoming test. If she fails, she'll never get Darling The Stars Shine Bright's upcoming product, the special limited edition Dreamy Wishes dress. Karloff promised to have one reserved for her _if_ she passes this exam. She can't afford to fail or miss it.

Things appeared hopeless for the kunoichi of metal until a light bulb flashed atop her head.

Luck hasn't completely abandoned her.

Iris knew one person who might be able to help…

Nya drove as fast as she could to Iris' apartment. Like Kai, she also couldn't bring herself to back down from someone in need no matter how big or small. The one downside is that Iris' residence was rather far from her house and she'll have to kick it to full gear if she wants to do it all without getting late.

"You sure you're gonna keep wearing that? It's probably gonna get messed up." The kunoichi of water glanced at her friend's frilly apparel.

"Shut up and drive." The pink kunoichi put on the spare helmet Nya took with her and seated herself right behind her chauffeur. Nya wasn't happy with Iris' curtness but it's too late to go back.

"Hold on tight!" The kunoichi of water warned her teammate and then the engine roared to life.

Before the violet-eyed girl knew it, the motorcycle sped off.

Iris yelped and wrapped her arms around Nya's torso so tight the silver kunoichi could feel her organs shift but she was willing to put up with it for today. The silver kunoichi focused her undivided attention on the road and getting to Ninjago High on time. Iris watched the world buzz by into a blur. This all felt so amazing and she never felt so much thrill in her life… besides piloting her mech.

Nya made it to the school grounds in record time. Judging by the many students socializing in front of the building, they was still plenty of time left before school began.

"Thanks Nya! You're the best!" Iris hopped off the motorcycle and made a beeline for her class.

The already confident girl swelled with pride. At least she's a better friend than Kai. Just look at what's going on between him and Zane but she won't brag. She's also better at being humble.

* * *

Lloyd went through his days in school like he always does, avoiding as much social contact as possible. Alas, his methods rarely work. Violet happened to be at the very end of the lunch line when the pariah came into the cafeteria.

"Ugh! And I just bought this new top!" The popular bitch complained just loud enough for him to hear. Obviously, bitches never learn.

"Yeah. It'd be a shame if something happened to it..." Lloyd let loose his sharp tongue.

"I don't need to listen to that _thing_." Violet scowled.

"Hey! Bitchface!" A fiery voice distracted the mean girl from tormenting the outcast.

It was Kai, who already got his tray of food. His fiery eyes were narrowed with hatred towards Violet.

"Stay out of this you porcupine wannabe!" She rudely dismissed him.

"At least it's a step up from peaking in high school." The fiery teen retorted.

"What are you implying?"

"A few years from now, that _thing_ will probably have a good career while you'll end up being a washed up lowlife working for him- oh wait. Last time I heard, Lloyd's not interested in being a pimp."

Everyone in the cafeteria and yes, even the staff, 'ooooohhhh'ed at Kai's statement.

Meanwhile, Lloyd mouthed at Kai to be quiet. He never liked being the center of attention.

"You think I'll actually have to work after school? I'm already rich so I'm settled for life unlike you and everyone else in this dump!" Violet went on, _still_ not learning anything.

The spiky-haired teen was infamous for his explosive temper so seeing him standing there with a stoic face and no noise escaping his lips made everyone wary. He was definitely planning something.

Without saying anything nor showing any emotion on his face, Kai turned his tray full of questionable 'food' over Violet's head, letting the unidentifiable substances ruin her hair, clothes, and makeup.

Another chorus of surprised screams echoed across the large cafeteria.

Violet was too shocked to say or do anything.

Violet's chest rose and fell in a gradually increasing rate and everyone else backed away except Kai. He kept staring down at her coldly with no hint of the fire that always burned in him. The mean girl's face grew redder and redder, her eyes widened like a bratty child ready to throw a tantrum, and everyone can hear her huffing and puffing. Everyone braced themselves for an explosion and some even ran for cover under the tables.

She let out a screech that no human can make and ran out of the cafeteria with only her staunchest of lackeys following her.

Even Lloyd was rendered speechless by Kai's actions. Whenever anyone would give him shit, the fiery ninja would always stand up for him so it didn't come as a shock he'd stand up to Violet. It's just that this wasn't the way the hot-blooded teen usually goes. At least Violet has been thwarted today.

Kai remained calm when he approached the once defenseless Lloyd.

"Relax, she's gone now." The spiky-haired teen's voice was stoic and unyielding, a stark contrast to his loud bombastic tones.

"Kai, you're gonna get expelled one day." Lloyd sighed.

"And I should care because…?" Kai thought there's nothing wrong with that. He already hated school.

"I can take care of myself. You shouldn't be fighting _my_ battles."

Kai felt something unpleasant set off inside him for some reason after Lloyd said that but was quick to dismiss it. Whatever it is was of no importance. He's out of lunch money and he's hungry...

* * *

Heather, Aria, and Luna were finally able to have a girls' day out together. It was kind of a miracle they didn't get to have one until now since they've been training together for a long time and went to the same school before all this ninja stuff went down but this isn't about being a ninja for once. Of course their first course of action was to go on a shopping spree led by Aria, not that they minded. Luna had an interest in fashion and even Heather displayed a more indulgent behavior when there's nothing for her to fret about.

"I think one more shop wouldn't hurt." Heather suggested but the loud growls of her empty stomach caused a chain reaction with the other girls also building up an appetite.

"Um… Maybe finding some place to eat is a better idea..." Luna clutched her rumbling tummy.

"I know a good place! They have the best cakes and desserts! Let's go!" Once again, Aria was the one who dragged the girls to their next destination.

This was Heather and Luna's very first time at the Tous les Nuits cafe and they had to give Aria at least some credit for having good taste. This place specialized in cute and trendy treats and drinks worthy of pictures on social media.

"Oh wow!" Luna's hazel eyes sparkled with excitement when the server came to their table to serve a trio of absolutely gorgeous parfaits. Hers was piled high with all kinds of fresh and colorful fruits. She can see the layers of bright red strawberry sauce, fluffy whipped cream, and cornflakes for an extra bit of crunch in the glass. Even the scoop of ice cream on top was perfect. It was almost a shame to mar a beautiful work of art with her spoon. Key word: almost.

Heather may be more down-to-earth but she just can't resist taking photos of her strawberry parfait. It would be a welcome change from all the flowers in her Instameter account.

"Do you ever shop for anything besides clothes?" The kunoichi of sound asked the shopaholic.

"Definitely! We should also go to GameSpot after this," Aria already planned out their next course of action while munching away on her chocolate parfait, "I wanna see if that Awakening remake is good."

"Anything going on at school or with life in general?"

"Nothing much," Luna shrugged, "There hasn't been a bunch of new songs since N-Pop girl released a bunch of songs about believing last week. What about you?"

"We just got an order to make a bunch of bouquets for a wedding," Heather recalled recent events at Blossoming Memories, "The couple requested each bouquet to have a different 'prominent color' or whatever that means and the bride's bouquet should have mostly lilies. This is our biggest request yet but it's not something I can't handle."

"And you?" The kunoichi of sound turned to Aria to hear what she had to say.

"Of course there's nothing exciting going on in my life! Why else am I hanging out with you girls?" The kunoichi of wind bluntly answered.

'Was she insulting us?' Heather and Luna exchanged perplexed glances with one another.

Aria remained blissfully unaware because there's nothing but air in that thick head of hers.

* * *

 **And there you have it.**

 **This also happens to be my longest chapter yet. We may be seeing more conflict between Kai & Zane later as well as more secrets Ninjago is hiding. As always, please review.**


	110. Chosen Ones

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Sorry I'm late but here's the next chapter. Today, we'll see some more tension between Kai & Zane as well as some humor. Again, I'm still building up to Meowthra's appearance so for now, read on.**

* * *

Chapter 109: Chosen Ones

THWACK!

The sound of the arrow striking the very center of its target echoed in the warehouse.

Zane focused his undivided attention on honing his archery skills. Even with the lock-on features of his optics turned off, his calculating combat style enabled him to know exactly what to do. Even with the targets moving about, the courses of action were quickly planned out in his head and he fired each of his arrows and all of them were perfectly in the center of each target.

"Perfect score as always." Aria commented on the android's excellent precision.

"You've done enough for today, Zane." Master Wu ended the nindroid's archery training.

The ice ninja politely bowed and went to put his equipment away. On the way, he happened upon Kai and no sooner had he looked at the red ninja did the human immediately turn away. As shameful as it is, Zane also averted his gaze from the red ninja.

The nindroid can never bring himself to make eye contact with Kai. The incident with Garmadon was far from the only time the ninja of ice and fire didn't see eye to eye but ever since that day, they would avoid each other any time they can. Kai still seemed to blame him for interfering with his fight against the dark lord himself. Another terrible truth that plagued the ice ninja was that Kai was justified in his anger towards him. The truth can hurt but that was something Zane was accustomed to ever since he was first activated but for once, he couldn't even bring himself to accept it. The humanoid frequently told himself Kai would've been in greater danger if he hadn't intervened. He also wanted Kai to know that but it's impossible as long as they avoided each other. Even if Kai wasn't keeping his distance, the nindroid couldn't fathom the idea of getting near him now.

This was yet another feeling Zane never thought he'd experience. If this is what it's like to be human…

'No, I am just as much of a person as organic humans,' The nindroid wasn't going to give up now, 'This is a part of life and if I am truly alive, then I shall endure.'

It was obvious even to Kai that his grudge against the ice ninja was dragging out. He was just too damn stubborn to let it go. He was so close to giving the dark lord what's been coming to him. He was going to feel the pain and misery he put his son through. He was going to suffer just like the innocent people he's been tormenting for years. He was finally going to get his comeuppance if it weren't for the damn nindroid getting in his way. He kept going on with that 'protect others who can't protect themselves' spiel and if he really wants to be seen as more than just a machine, then he better stay out of his way.

'That damn nindroid probably thinks he's better than us…' Soon, it all clicked for the hotheaded ninja, 'So that's it. All that talk about being just like us was just that! Talk!'

Kai glared at the ice ninja's back with eyes burning hot just like his element. He should've known that was all an act to fish for compliments. He saw how far the most desperate people will go just so they can feel like they belong. It wouldn't surprise him if Zane was little more than a hopeless fool seeking a place in a world he doesn't belong.

'Is this how you repay the same ninja who helped us countless times?' The little voice inside Kai's head berated him for assuming such about the nindroid, 'And what about your feelings whenever someone messes with him?'

The fire ninja can't deny the urge to still defend Zane every time someone points how different he is or if they blatantly belittle him, even if that's what he was doing mere moments ago. Kai knew he had no right to feel this way after the way he treated the ice ninja but he's never one to deny his feelings, or so he wants to believe...

Okay, fine. Zane doesn't deserve to be bullied for something he has no control over. However, that still doesn't excuse him butting in when he shouldn't. There really isn't a whole lot Kai and Zane agree on other than protecting the defenseless.

'So what? Not everyone's gonna like each other. It's just how things are.' Once again, Kai dismissed the strange things going on in his head. If he and Zane won't see eye-to-eye on everything, then he'll deal with it. His real focus was on the endgame that matters above all else. The end justifies the means.

Meanwhile, the other ninja seemed to get along just fine.

While everyone else was busy doing whatever, Cole was preoccupied with planning out what to do the next time the enemies attack, be it Garmadon, his goons, or even some petty criminals. Lloyd quickly noticed how serious the laid-back guy was and decided to check on him. That and he was curious as to what's making him so worked up about it.

"What are you doing?" The green ninja approached his comrade.

"I'm trying to come up with a plan for our next mission." Cole answered.

"How are you gonna do that if we don't know what's gonna happen next?"

"There's nothing wrong with planning ahead."

"And what are we gonna do when Garmadon strikes back?"

"You, Kai, and Aria may have a fighting chance against Garmadon since you both fight with swords and from what we've seen, that's also his weapon of choice." The earth ninja considered each of the ninja and their fighting styles.

"What about the others?" The green ninja still had a bunch of questions, "And what should we do if he tries to attack more then one place at once? It happened a few times already and we were only lucky to have beaten them."

"Zane, Jay, and Nya can handle long range so they should go on missions with more enemies. Most of the kunoichi also do better in close range combat so it's best for them to be in the front line of battle."

"I understand Heather and Iris but I don't think Luna would be happy about that."

"She'll have to awaken the courage sleeping deep within her." An elderly voice joined in.

Cole and Lloyd recoiled in shock while Master Wu kept calm in between them.

"Were you listening to us the whole time!?" Now Lloyd was hoping he didn't inherit his uncle's more creepy habits.

"Whether or not I answer that question won't make a difference," Wu said calmly whilst sipping tea, "I am pleased you are taking measures to ensure Garmadon will not conquer Ninjago. Not everyone in the team is getting along so it is up to you to keep them all together. Lloyd, you must lead the ninja to their destiny and Cole, your element is earth so you're the one who will keep them all grounded."

"We understand."

The elderly sage felt assured seeing Lloyd and Cole grow into their roles as ninja and discovering more about themselves. He wished the same for the others but everyone grows at a different pace.

When the time comes, they'll all hopefully reach their full potential.

* * *

Twas another boring day at Ninjago High. Everyone was in their final class for the day and soon, they'll be home free. The ninja weren't exempt from the liberating feeling of freedom within their reach. All they need to do is endure just a little more and it'll be smooth sailing from that point on…

Jay was completely focused on Mr. Borg's lecture, ignoring his teammate and the loud rock tunes that always accompanied him. He hardly ever talked with Cole even after joining the Secret Ninja Force and even when they were assigned to the same class, he never really interacted with him.

"Jay and Cole, you two will be working together for today's assignment." Mr. Borg paired off two of his students in his last class together.

The blue ninja wanted the ground to swallow him whole only to see the associations the big guy had with the earth. Cole walked over to the table they were to share together and waited for Jay. The way he just looked at him and not make a sound only made him appear all the more intimidating.

"Are you gonna do this or not?" Cole lost his patience and finally spoke to the timid ninja, which only made him more nervous than he already was.

"Um… is there anything you need…?" The lightning ninja asked out loud.

'Shit! There you go making Cole think you think he's an idiot!' His brain yelled at him, 'Have a fun time eating through a straw for the next couple of months!'

"I don't know how this thing works." The muscular ninja inspected the Bunsen burner.

"It's easy. I can show you..." Jay's inner scientist kicked in and soon, he was guiding Cole through their experiment like he was the teacher in this class.

It felt weird for the scrawny insecure Jay to end up leading the more confident and muscular Cole. He was clearly more adept in the field of science than him. He thought being better than someone in any area would make him feel better about himself but it only made Jay feel even more out of place in this strange cruel world. Still, he was completely engrossed by the classwork and it wasn't long before he was done and Mr. Borg came to inspect it.

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" He analyzed the results of Jay's work, "You two get a hundred!"

Cole also felt strange and even a bit guilty over making Jay do most of the work. It'll feel unfair to get the same grade when he just stood there and watched. Science wasn't really his forte but the least he could've done was lend a hand, even with the most minuscule deeds such as getting the beakers. For some reason, he still remained close by Jay's side long after they were done. It was only when the bell rang did they finally part ways.

'What was that about?' Jay was confused by his own inaction while getting ready for the auto club.

'That was certainly… something...' Cole shrugged off his tense encounter with Jay.

Without doing so much as spare a passing glance, both ninja who were different in many ways left the class once the door of opportunity was open to them.

They thought things will go back to normal once they're apart but those strange emotions remained, even when they were preoccupied with club activities. These feelings flocked about in their heads like flies on a carcass.

Or like Garmadon's shadow constantly looming over the city.

* * *

Lloyd kept his face covered under the shade of his hoodie while wandering through Ninjago Mall. It's not that he wanted to come here. The Hinata siblings insisted he get out of his apartment and much to his dismay, even his mom agreed to it. He does love his mom but there are times she doesn't seem to truly understand him.

"Kai, please. I just want this day to be over with so I can be locked up in my room where I belong." The green ninja bemoaned his situation, not that his friends were listening.

"You can't stay cooped up in that apartment forever!" Nya pestered him, "Come on! Live a little!"

Lloyd still wasn't convinced exposing himself to a city that hated him can be called living. He was being dragged around by the Hinata siblings. Literally.

"Oh look, a bench. I can rest here while you go and do whatever." Lloyd reached for the empty piece of furniture and was met with predictable resistance.

"Nope! Not before we get you some real clothes! You can't wear nothing but that same hoodie all the time!" Kai started dragging him towards Hallister Co.

"Kai, he doesn't wanna go there! Let's go check out GameSpot!" Nya yanked the green ninja's arm in the opposite direction.

'I'm probably gonna lose my arms by the time the day's through. Wonderful.' The outcast thought to himself while he was stuck as the rope to the siblings' latest game of tug-of-war.

Soon, something caught the pariah's emerald green eyes. Or _someone_ to be specific.

There's no mistaking those frilly dresses decked with ribbons and lace. And standing next to a big burly guy can also make anyone stand out. Before he knew it, they both recognized him.

"Lloyd?" Iris and Karloff walked over to Lloyd, oblivious to his silent begging otherwise.

"Oh, it's you." The green ninja was completely nonchalant over meeting his girly teammate anywhere besides school or the ninja hideout.

"What brings you here?" Nya asked.

Iris opened her mouth to speak but her uncle beat her to it.

"We were just about to go get some lunch. If you're hungry, we could eat together." The bearded man didn't mind having extra company on this fine day.

"Fine by me," Kai accepted the offer, "We could go check out that new Nonda's place."

Nya was about to say something until a muffled buzzing sound distracted Karloff. His phone vibrated in his pocket and his expression became stern seeing who was calling him at this time.

"Sorry, Iris. I gotta take this call. Why don't you hang out with your friends until I get back?" The buff guy didn't even wait for his niece to reply before leaving to answer whoever was trying to contact him.

Iris wasn't too fond of being stuck with these guys. Really, there's nothing negative going on between the kunoichi of metal and the other ninja (for the time being). She just didn't expect it.

"Uh… why are you here…?" The violet-eyed girl stammered.

"Ask them," Lloyd gestured towards the Hinata siblings with a visible scowl, "It was their idea."

"What are we gonna do now?" Kai was stumped on what to do.

"Take me home."

"Besides that, Lloyd."

"We should wait for Uncle to get back before we go anywhere." Iris waited for relative to get back.

"Do you ever wonder what the rest of the world outside of Ninjago City is like?" Nya asked.

"I have to admit I sometimes think about what lies beyond the city." Lloyd confessed.

"Yeah," Kai added, "Nya and I lived here our whole lives. I'd like to see what's outside Ninjago City."

"I want to see Parsa one day. From what Jay told me, it's a very beautiful place and their technology is very advanced." Nya recalled the times the lightning ninja described his childhood home to her.

"So what's Almaz like?" Lloyd asked Iris.

The pink kunoichi shuddered. She always hoped he would never bring it up again after figuring out she was from there.

"Why do you need to know?" Iris asked with an ugly scowl.

"We're just curious."

"Just ask Uncle when he gets back."

"You act like Almaz is an awful place. I understand that no place is perfect and there's also that miracle that shouldn't have happened but we weren't even born at that time. Why would you hate it?"

"It's not the city itself… But..."

"If it's the place that isn't bothering you, can you at least tell us what it's like?"

"It's… not that different from Ninjago City though it does take pride in the arts..."

"Like…?"

"There are many people in Almaz who pursue a career in stuff like… dancing, singing, and theater…"

"So it's all about performing arts?"

"Yeah… From what Uncle told me, it's been like that even before… the 'miracle'..."

"I bet Cole would like it." Kai muttered to himself.

"Were you also interested in that sort of stuff?" Nya asked.

Iris looked even more upset by the question if that's possible. Fortunately, her uncle came back before she had time to answer.

"Sorry I took so long," Karloff eventually returned to the group, "Now what are you chatting about? Is it about the kind of music you teens are listening to these days? Or the latest dystopian novel aimed at young adults? Could it be all the 'pumpkin spice' stuff everyone's selling now that it's autumn?"

"We were just talking about a bunch of places outside the city." Iris answered.

"Such as…?"

"Can _you_ tell us about Almaz?" Lloyd asked him.

Strangely, Karloff seemed stressed at the mere mention of that place. Unlike them, he was old enough to have at least hear of the miracle that shouldn't have happened when it did so maybe that's why.

"All I can say is… it has its own ups and down… kinda like Ninjago City." That was all the bearded man had to say about his birthplace.

"That's what Iris told us already."

"It's better to live in the present rather than thinking about the past..." Karloff sighed. For a moment, he was eerily similar to Master Wu.

"What's so bad about Almaz that makes you not wanna talk about it?" Lloyd was getting frustrated by Iris and Karloff's reluctance to reveal more about their hometown.

"That place is of no importance right now. Now what were we supposed to do again, Iris?"

"You offered all of us to eat together."

Lloyd was now more determined to find out why Iris doesn't seem to like Almaz or whatever is in it so much and that also made him even more confused. He never felt any urge to get to know his friends. They were the ones who opened up to him first and Iris was different. That could be it. He easily gets tired of the same routine and -

'What am I thinking? Iris isn't some personal toy!' The green ninja shook the notions of her being little else than a plaything to curb his boredom.

"Let's head to the Cheesecake Mill." Nya suggested.

"But I said we're going to Nonda's!" Kai argued.

"Because of that, we're going to neither of those places." Karloff settled the argument once and for all.

"So where are we gonna eat?" Lloyd asked.

"Why don't you decide?" The big guy offered him to make that decision.

The green ninja was caught off guard. He still didn't want to be here but Karloff did give him the offer to choose where to eat and he had one place in mind.

Much to Kai and Nya's dismay, Lloyd started heading in the direction to the entrance of the mall.

"Hey! I thought you were gonna pick where to eat!" Kai hollered.

"I do want to eat… at home!" The green ninja's walk sped up to a sprint and he was gone before they can catch up.

The others stared, flabbergasted by Lloyd's actions. Technically, he did pick where to eat for himself, so...

"He's good." Karloff uttered.

* * *

Heather swung her mace not towards any enemies but at the earth ninja. She was pitted against Cole for today's training session. Their weapons were similar but were in fact very different. The black ninja swung his massive warhammer with surprising ease and the kunoichi of nature barely dodged in time. Cole swing his weapon again and the teal kunoichi jumped as high as she could with her mace raised above her head, ready to strike her now defenseless foe. Little did she know this also left her open to attack and the earth ninja wasn't going to let opportunity escape his grasp in battle.

The next thing Heather knew, she was sent flying across the arena and her abdomen was plagued with an unbearable pain. Her back skidded against the floor after what felt like an eternity stuck in midair. The teal kunoichi spewed out a string of hoarse coughs and gruesome heaving sounds that made the other ninja think she's gonna throw up. Zane wanted to check on her but he mustn't interfere with her duties. There were terrible consequences last time he did it and as distressing as it is, he stayed put.

Cole's leg seemed frozen in midair after he kicked Heather right in the gut until he saw the damage he had done to her. Even in the middle of a duel, Cole's determination to prevail was swiftly replaced with compassion and he ran over to help his adversary.

"Sorry about that. I guess I don't know my own strength." The earth ninja apologized while helping the kunoichi of nature get back on her feet.

"Heather, you don't have to keep moving all the time during battle. Patience is the key to victory." Wu watched the whole thing. He didn't even object to Cole helping Heather. At least knew a thing or two about teamwork.

"You're both done for today. Now let's move on to another pair."

Neither of the once dueling pair paid attention to who was up next. They collapsed next to each other, exhausted from their intense duel. That didn't stop Cole from turning on his radio to belt out a noisy melody of thumping bass and guitar riffs. Heather wasn't complaining though the earth ninja's taste in music, even if it was far from her preferences.

"Don't you do anything else besides listening to music?" The kunoichi of nature attempted to converse with the usually quiet ninja.

"Of course, I just like listening to music while doing pretty much everything." Cole remained calm.

"What kind of music do you like?"

"I don't really mind any kind as long as it's not too loud or chaotic.

Now it's my turn to ask you something."

"Hit me."

"Why do you like music so much?"

"It's something I've been surrounded with longer than I can remember. No matter where I go or what I'm doing, there was always music. It's understandable with the kind of profession my dad has but..."

Cole dug deep into his earliest memories, one thing that always remained was music of all kinds. They were all catchy but there was one he could just barely remember, a melody he hasn't heard anywhere else. It was his earliest memory and that was the only time he ever heard it. He often wondered what that song was. No matter how hard he searched, he never found the name or where it came from. He sometimes wondered if it was real at all. His father probably knows that song with his occupation but he never spoke of it. He's most likely keeping it a secret so he can cave in and become just like him. As much as he wanted to know, it just isn't worth it.

And that only widened the rift between him and his father.

"It doesn't matter. Music's always been a part of my life and I'm not complaining."

"I think the same goes for me with flowers."

"What's your favorite kind?"

"I… can't really decide. Each and every one of them are special in their own way… kinda like people."

"Yeah. It's sad how Mother Nature and the natural world is taken for granted."

Heather sighed, thinking about her affiliation with nature and the choices she made because of it.

"You know, I signed up for this because I wonder if I'm more than just someone who loves flowers."

"I understand. I also wonder if I'm more than just a guy who loves music."

"Perhaps that's why Master Wu chose us. We don't really know who we truly are. And this is what he meant to discover ourselves."

"I guess..."

Earth and nature were elements already connected to each other and the maybe the same can be said for the ninja chosen to wield them…

* * *

 **That's all for now. Looks like there's gonna be ongoing tension throughout the ninja's adventures. Also, please review.**


	111. The Responsible One

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Hey guys. Not a lot will be happening in this chapter other than some hints of what the future may hold for Lloyd. It's not much but please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 110: The Responsible One

Lloyd inspected himself in front of the mirror after a long hot shower. He didn't see the point in telling anyone, even his own mother of these black moles that just keep coming. He didn't see the point if all the doctors and specialists he's seen tell him there's nothing wrong. He knew something _is_ wrong with him. He's been getting more 'moles' as of late and the first ones seem to have gotten bigger. The green ninja groaned when his eyes suddenly stung for some reason.

There's no way it's shampoo because his eyes would've been hurting from the moment he lathered up the cleanser into his golden tresses.

Once the vertigo faded, Lloyd finally opened his eyes and he saw something for a split second and that was when he saw it. Something that shouldn't be there.

The green ninja could've sworn he saw a flash of blood red in his eyes. It wasn't something like a light being pointed at him or a foreign object blocking his eyes. It was like his eyes itself were red, bringing his attention back to his 'moles' and what they might imply.

Is he going to end up looking just like Garmadon one day?

He already had fangs and his blemishes are pitch black like the dark lord's flesh. It's already difficult to do so much as go outside when he's only related to the dark lord by blood but to also look like him…

Lloyd tried imagining himself with skin black as a moonless night, eyes glowing in furious crimson, and possibly even possess an extra pair of arms. He might be able to tolerate his flesh and eyes changing colors but for another pair of arms to sprout from his sides… he didn't even want to think how brutal that would be.

'No way that's gonna happen,' The green ninja shook his head, 'I don't even want to look like him so I think I'm gonna be okay...'

"Lloyd, is everything alright in there?" His mother's voice echoed behind the door.

"Y-yeah! Just a sec!" Lloyd quickly dried off his hair, put on his boxers, and exited the room with clouds of steam billowing in his wake.

Even in the sanctuary of his room, he still stared at the spots all over his body. He should be thankful he doesn't have any on his face. Suddenly, his eyes stung again and he was sure they flashed red for a second time but he hoped otherwise despite knowing what little good hope has ever done for him.

Looks aren't everything.

Too bad there are too few people in this world who know that.

* * *

The Shark Army continued to do the dark lord's bidding despite his abhorrent treatment of them. It's not really a healthy dynamic, even if they're evil. These guys really need some help. Anyway, the dark lord wasn't one to give up so easily and sent his minions to do his dirty work. This time, they had a few mechs for the extra firepower.

And so did the Secret Ninja Force.

"You remember Cole's plan, right?" Iris asked from atop the Volk Titan.

"I recorded his strategy if that reassures you." Zane's voice echoed as if the Ice Tank itself was talking.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Heather guided the Land Tracker to the front line of the battle.

"NINJA-GO!"

The Volk Titan pounced at the nearest mechs, crushing them in its fang-filled maw. Heather kept her distance while shooting a barrage of missiles at the enemies while Zane utilized the Ice Tank to freeze any adversaries that escaped the Land Tracker's wrath.

Iris' mech delivered much of the brunt force and she also made sure the artificial beast won't sustain a lot of damage. The laser cannon still takes forever to charge up and the long wait just isn't worth it to her. The Volk Titan relied solely on its fangs and claws to bring the Shark Army into a world of hurt. All the pink kunoichi could think of was attacking anyone and anything close enough for the mechanical wolf to maul. Unfortunately, that left her prone to attacks from behind which the Shark Army became aware of and they weren't going to let that opportunity go...

"Iris! Behind you!" Zane spotted a wayward enemy mech homing in on the Volk Titan from behind.

Before the violet-eyed kunoichi could react, a homing missile from the Land Tracker made quick work of the goon.

"Don't worry! I got your back!" The teal kunoichi proved to be a loyal teammate and made sure none of the Shark Army mechs inflict any harm on Iris or Zane.

Zane froze as many opposing mechs as he could while Iris and Heather dealt with those that managed to escape the Ice Tank's cold wrath only to be hit by a barrage of missiles or torn to shreds by the Volk Titan's raw power.

This time, all of the Shark Army's mechs were totaled. The minions scrambled out of the wreckage and tried to make their escape but the current General #1 leading them was greeting with an arrowhead. The sharp tip was right in between her eyes and she nervously looked up to be greeted by the sight of the white ninja pointing an arrow at her. Joining him were the teal and pink kunoichi who brandished their weapons too.

"Your mere existence in the mortal realm is mercy form me." The ice ninja's stare was already colder than his element but it was his eerie voice that really sent chills down the Shark Army's spines.

While the Shark Army fled back to the volcano lair, the townsfolk were expected to give praise to the ninja who stopped them but most of them were only complaining that the green ninja wasn't around today. Even if it isn't Lloyd's fault, it's still really annoying that he gets all the credit.

Heather observed the nindroid coolly accept whatever praise he got. His glowing optics kept gazing at the sea where Garmadon lurks. Even with his hood on, he still managed to look so serious.

It was strange seeing Zane be his sweet albeit awkward self at school or anywhere in the city become a calculating yet ruthless warrior during the ninja's missions. It just goes to show how much he takes his responsibilities seriously. It was another part of him many people failed to see. Well, the rest of the ninja see it too but they're only a tiny fraction of the whole populace of Ninjago City. If only the world can see the Zane Julien she saw.

"Heather, it is time to head back." Zane's voice bought the teal kunoichi's mind back to the real world.

"R-right…!" She hopped back into her mech and followed Zane and Iris back to the ninja stronghold.

The ninja were well aware of what the populace thought of them and how different it was compared to when they're just being themselves. They found themselves dreading what will happen when they reveal their true identities to the public.

But that's gonna be like five years from now so who cares?

* * *

Many would've thought Kai found it humiliating to depend on his sister for transportation but it's far from it. Yeah, it was a little embarrassing but the red ninja's pride in having a cool dependable sibling far outweighs it. He always knew Nya was a strong girl and can handle herself in any situation.

Kai relished the winds blowing past him at top speed while Nya squeezed through the small pockets of space between bulkier vehicles in order to get to Ninjago High on time. Another trait the siblings share was their mutual need for adrenaline.

The motorcycle embellished with the image of Lady Iron Dragon skidded to a sideways halt, which has become something of a signature move for Nya. Almost every other student stared in awe as Nya took off her helmet, shaking her ebony locks to and fro before tying it back into a ponytail, especially Jay. Of course this only made her look even cooler than she already was.

"Nya's so awesome!"

"Is there anything she can _not_ do?"

"I wanna be just like her someday!"

Kai noticed how everyone's eyes were only on Nya when he was right next to her. Normally, his female fans would be all over him but they seemed utterly fixated on his sister.

"I'm right here, you know." He cleared his throat and tried to grab his peers' attention.

"Oh… yeah..." Some of the girls who usually gushed over Kai's good looks dismissed him in favor of his sister and her skills with her motorcycle.

Okay. Maybe Nya having her own cool ride before him does frustrate him a little.

* * *

Dr. Julien gazed at all the accolades he earned in his long career as an inventor. Certificates, trophies, and ribbons adorned the walls of his bedroom. He had done so much for Ninjago for countless years. He was considered to be genius even when he was just a child. He made countless inventions for the sake of Ninjago, to protect those who can't protect themselves. And there was the Warring Era when he dabbled into the potential dangers his creations may cause. He was wise enough to realize what he was getting himself into before it was too late. Other than that, he had no regrets. Ironically, the only invention he received no award or recognition for was his greatest… no. He may have had a different purpose in mind and what he built was no mere invention. It was far greater than that.

His greatest creation is...

"Father, I have returned." Zane announced his return from school.

"Oh, Zane! How was school?" Dr. Julien emerged from his room gave his robot son a warm welcome.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." The android sighed. Part of an ordinary day for Zane was being bullied and ostracized by most of his peers. The things that's been said to and about him do bother him more than he wanted to accept.

"Zane, if there's something bothering you, please tell me." The retired scientist reassured his son. The android was silent with an expression that made his father know he had something in his mind and he was going to speak of them.

"I feel like I am in pain..." The nindroid sighed, his choice of words alarming his father.

"Are you hurt? Can you show me?" Dr. Julien's mood rapidly changed to concern for his son.

"I have not been hurt in any physical way… yet… I feel the same emotional discomfort from wounds..."

"What happened?"

"It seems that no matter how much effort I make, no one sees me as a person. Some do not believe I am even alive… Am I?"

"Of course you are," The old engineer comforted the android, "Your thoughts, emotions, and feelings are all you, not a bunch of programming protocols."

"But what if they are? You programmed me to be as human as possible. If I am being human, then it is because of the way I was programmed, not out of my own free will."

Dr. Julien was disheartened to see his son so discouraged by the judgemental nature of humans. Even he experienced the same pain as his son. All he can do was comfort him with words that will never be enough to heal the pain.

"What do those immature teens know?" He furrowed his brow at how shallow and superficial people can be, "Humans can be cruel people. I'm so sorry you had to find out this way."

"Please do not apologize. I should have known the world has its flaws. I am but a naive fool."

"There are many things everyone doesn't know about. I may be called a genius but there are a lot of things even I don't know of. When you really think about it, no one ever comes to this world knowing absolutely everything."

"That is true… There were many things I had to learn for myself..."

"Zane, whether you're man or machine, don't ever question who you are. If you ever start to wonder about yourself or what you feel, there's no need to go looking for any answers because they are deep within you. All you need to do is listen and they will become clear."

The nindroid became silent, hoping to hear something within him besides his circuits working to keep him online. Dr. Julien chuckled at his son's eccentricities.

"You can't hear them in the literal sense but the answers are still there. They will reveal themselves to you when the time is right. Again, that is up to you to decide."

"Father..."

"Now isn't the time to do nothing but ponder. Let's just take our time to cherish being ourselves."

Zane wanted to heed his parent's advice but it only made him wonder all the more.

If the answers are inside him the whole time, then was everyone right to shun him?

And will those answers affect him for the better or worse?

* * *

Cole continued teaching Lloyd how to come up with a strategic plan to ensure victory over Garmadon and his minions. Although he never really wanted the role, Lloyd took his role as leader seriously. Not even he knew why. It's just another quirk of his that everyone but the ninja never even try to see. The earth ninja still sought to help anyone no matter who they are.

"What are you doing?" Being the curious girl she was, Aria intruded on their little session.

It was funny seeing the rock-solid Cole and cynical Lloyd flinch because of her voice alone. She didn't hide her giggles when they turned to her with cross expressions.

"Something you wouldn't be interested in." Lloyd grumbled upon regaining his composure.

"We're trying to figure out what to do next time Ninjago is under attack." Cole answered calmly.

"Who knows when that's gonna be?" The orange kunoichi pointed out, "And we have no idea who will make the next move, Garmadon or some thugs?"

"And that's why we should come up with a plan for any kind of attack from anyone. We -" Lloyd turned his emerald orbs to Cole for a brief moment before shifting his gaze back to Aria… or where she stood. And just like that, the kunoichi of wind was gone. She was never good at paying attention to things she perceived to be boring.

"Never mind. Now where were we?" Cole immediately forgot the orange kunoichi's brief involvement and went back to his plans with Lloyd.

The olive-skinned girl was up to her usual antics. She wanted to see if there's anything interesting as of late and so far, it's so boring. This was far from what she thought life as a ninja would be like. And here she was thinking anime might be real after all. She looked around to see what the others were doing. Master Wu was being his boring ass self doing nothing but sitting there drinking tea. Heather and Iris were looking through the pictures on their phones, Kai was busy preening his gelled up hair, Nya was working on the Water Strider, Luna tended to Varjo, and Zane was… she'd rather not know…

And that left Jay.

The lightning ninja was busy playing video games and that gave Aria and idea.

The orange kunoichi walked on her tip-toes towards the sofa where Jay was seated and stayed hidden behind the furniture like a lioness ready to pounce upon her prey. The blue ninja was about to achieve a new record in the story mode of Sword of Souls and was so invested in the game he was completely oblivious to the capricious girl hiding on the other side of the cushions. His character was really going at it against the final boss whose health bar was rapidly whittling down. Aria was almost absorbed in watching the match but her plan was too important to pass up.

"Finish him!" The narrator of the game announced and Jay was ready to use his special combo.

Now was the right moment for Aria to make her move.

'...Three… Two… One...'

Aria lunged over the couch and grabbed Jay, sinking her nails into his shoulders and greeting his face with her own so he can see nothing but her upside-down expression of pure madness. Her blue-green eyes wide and mouth contorted into a big demented grin.

Jay's inhuman screech can be heard a million miles away. Even Garmadon in his volcano lair heard it.

"My audio receptors have been damaged." The circuits in Zane's ears couldn't take the intense volume of his teammate's shriek and broke down, making everything sound muffled to the poor android.

"Ever think about doing some screamo metal?" Cole raised a bushy eyebrow at Jay's loud reaction.

Meanwhile, Aria laughed at her latest victim. More importantly, she recorded the whole thing, "That's gonna be my ringtone! Iris! Call me!"

The kunoichi of metal obliged and dialed her teammate's number. And just like that, the same shriek the whole city heard moments ago blasted from her phone.

"Why do you have to be that way!?" Jay curled up in a fetal position and sobbed.

And just like that, Nya came rushing to the crying ninja's side, knocking Aria over in the process which may or may not have been deliberate. She knew she's gonna be ostracized because of her little prank but there were only two words the orange kunoichi could think of.

'Worth it.'

* * *

Two certain ninja found themselves surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city. A third ninja was supposed to meet them but waiting around wasn't the end of the world.

Kai and Cole found time to hang out while waiting for Zane. They were so similar yet so different. They had a strong drive to protect those dear to them with Kai always defending Lloyd from school bullies and looking out for his sister and Cole wanting to help out just about anyone in any way he can. That's where the similarities end.

Befitting his element, Kai was hot-blooded and aggressive. He easily lost his cool while Cole was able to keep his cool no matter what. The greater question is what makes him lose his cool. And while Kai was impulsive and always trying to make the first move, Cole recently took up the role as the strategist of the team. This will definitely cause some disagreements between the two in the near future. Cole was clearly looking forward to having to talk some sense into Kai in the upcoming months.

Kai was busy sending Chirps on his phone and Cole was lost in the beat of his radio when the sounds of footsteps walking in perfect sync approach them. Of course it was Zane. Everything the humanoid does is precise.

"I apologize for being late. I needed to help Father with some errands." The white ninja explained his tardiness to his comrades.

"That's alright," Cole brushed him off, "You're here now and that's all that matters."

The sour expression on Kai's face didn't go unnoticed by Zane. They still haven't forgotten about their argument over that battle with Garmadon earlier.

"Did you make something?" The earth ninja asked, eyeing the box in the nindroid's hands.

"Yes. I prepared some rice balls which you call 'onigiri'. Please try some." Zane revealed the contents of the container. Every single onigiri were in a neat uniform shape and they were calling out to Kai and Cole, who felt their mouths fill with saliva at the sight alone.

Remembering the ice ninja's offer, they gladly accepted the free food and in just one bite, they were in heaven. The chewy rice gave way to the fillings inside and each and every onigiri were different. Cole feasted on a tuna and mayo onigiri and Kai helped himself to one filled with flaky salmon. They wasted no time eating one onigiri after another, savoring the various flavors of the fillings from fried chicken to pickled plum.

"So what is our agenda for today?" Zane asked once his friends had their fill.

"I don't know, ask Cole." Kai declined to answer the nindroid's question.

"Anywhere is fine." The black ninja shrugged.

The trio ended up wandering around the city, looking at anything that interested them. Kai would go to fashion outlets and any store that sold hair products and Zane headed for venues that sold any kind of electronic goods. That left Cole looking at any music shops and cafes that sell cakes.

Speaking of the devil…

"I'm hungry." Cole felt his empty stomach churn.

"But we just ate all those onigiri less than an hour ago!" Kai pointed out.

"What can I say? I have a big appetite." The black ninja defended himself.

"We can try any of these local establishments." Zane pointed at the variety of restaurants and vendors in their current location. There were plenty to choose from but in the end, they chose…

* * *

Cole set the trays full of fast food before Kai and Zane in one of the many McRonald's of Ninjago City. Yup. Feeding already powerful corporations is part of the norm of society and the ninja aren't exempt from that rule.

"Listen to anything good lately?" Of course Cole would talk about mostly music.

"I just downloaded the latest songs from EVO. Wanna listen?" Kai turned on the playlist on his phone.

"Father always likes to play the music that was popular in his youth at home." Zane joined in.

"What kind of songs does he like?"

"Some of his favorites are Close To You and Careless Sighs. And he said this type of music was also very popular when he was young. I believe it was known as disco."

"Disco is dead." Kai scoffed through a bite of his cheeseburger.

"How can that be? Music is an intangible concept so how can it be dead?" The naive android tilted his head with his eyebrows slightly raised in confusion.

"You wouldn't understand." The fire ninja dismissed him rather rudely.

Cole can sense the tension lingering between Zane and Kai. Although they agreed to be on civil terms again, they still hardly interact anymore unless necessary. There was an invisible wall between the ice and fire ninja and it looks like it's up to the earth ninja to tear it down. It's gonna suck but someone's gotta be the responsible one…

* * *

 **That's it. There's some more stuff I wanna get done before we get to Meowthra so please be patient. Reviews are appreciated & I'll see you later.**


	112. Sense of Purpose

**Discovering Destiny**

 **Happy update day!**

 **We'll see a bit of action, humor, & growing feelings between the ninja. Read on.**

* * *

Chapter 111: Sense of Purpose

The people of Ninjago City watched the latest battle between good and evil ensue in the middle of the plaza. A group of Garmadon's lackeys found themselves pitted against the red ninja and pink kunoichi. It wasn't too surprising since all of them were sword wielders.

Kai may be a hothead but damn does he know how to fight with a sword. With two katana, he was an unstoppable fighting machine, cutting down any enemies before they could try anything. The only bad thing about it was that this was going to inflate his already massive ego.

Iris may not have had any experience with a sword prior to joining the ninja but she was catching up. All that training really paid off for the kunoichi of metal. She didn't waste a single move with either her sword or shield. She made sure every single swipe of her sword counts. Iris also had the advantage of being equipped with something to defend herself and her cohort with. If it weren't for her shield, the duo would've had their asses beat.

"Look out!" The pink kunoichi hurried to the fire ninja's side and barely made it in the nick of time to block his back from the blade of the enemy trying to ambush him. She pushed the adversary aside in order to give Kai a fighting chance which he was more than willing to take.

With Kai in charge of the offense and Iris taking up defense, they made a formidable pair. The clumsy Shark Army just couldn't stand a chance. Their forces quickly dwindled down until none were left.

Kai and Iris huffed and puffed over the pile of worn down enemies and wreckage that remained of the plaza. The sounds of the breaths they made were gradually accompanied by the applause and praise of the grateful townsfolk.

"I'm surprised you managed to keep up. At first, I thought you were a prissy bitch but hey, at least you know how to fight." Kai commended the girly kunoichi for her abilities with the sword.

"And before we know it, we'll probably fight in some big battle that'll determine the fate of Ninjago." Iris mused about what the future may hold for the Secret Ninja Force.

"Isn't that a bit contrived?"

"We're a group of teenage vigilantes. It can't get any more contrived than this."

"Good point."

Only now did Kai and Iris realize what they just said in the middle of a crowd and they heard it all.

"...Which is absolutely no importance whatsoever!" Iris quipped and everyone bought it.

Looks like the ninja's secret is safe for the time being.

* * *

The first rays of the sun that just began its ascent from the horizon greeted Ninjago and at least one of its denizens was already awake.

Master Wu finished meditated in his room inside the Destiny's Bounty. He put out the mellow incense and poured himself another cup of green tea before heading out to greet the rising sun. Watching the sun rise from the undulating waves of the ocean was a sight to behold from his abode. Such beauty is often taken for granted just like many things.

His students were making progress but they still had a long way to go. There were also a lot of things they've taken for granted. It's all part of human nature and for eons, he wasn't exempt from this. He remembered all the things he had but now doesn't. If only he understood how blessed he was before they were all taken away.

'This isn't the time to wallow in self pity. There's nothing that can be done about that.'

Ancient eyes shifted back to the door leading to the interior of the vessel. Deep inside was something the ninja mustn't use. Something that could bring devastating consequences to Ninjago if held in the wrong hands.

'Lloyd will find out eventually. I will have to tell him about it soon. Yet...'

Master Wu still remembered when it was first used. The fallout was devastating and it was a long time before Ninjago fully recovered from that experience. He'll have to entrust something so powerful yet so dangerous to his nephew but the green-eyed youth still needs to get his emotions in check. He also sensed a lot of anger within him and a bunch of complicated feelings regarding his father. He'll have to keep his psyche in check if he is to pave the path to his own destiny and it looks like that's gonna take some time. Mental health is just as important as physical health, if not more so, in order to become a true ninja and it's not just Lloyd who needs to learn that.

The whole team needs to get their minds in check if they are to reach their full potential. Lloyd was far from being the only one with emotional issues. There was still some discord between certain ninja. Kai and Zane were opposites in many ways and that made it hard for them to agree on certain things and Iris seems to be hiding something everyone will eventually know whether she likes it or not.

The Secret Ninja Force's toughest test yet may be in plain sight...

* * *

Kai and Aria often hang out together but lately, things just aren't the same. No, they still do the usual stuff which is pretty much Aria dragging Kai to any fashion outlet she can find out trying a wide variety of street foods. They've spent so much time together and something deep within them emerged. They actually don't know what it was. It only came up recently.

Aria felt something strange inside her whenever Kai was around. It started when she tried to fend off those gangsters who beat him up. Ever since that fateful day, she felt this fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever she had only Kai for company. It made her want to be with Kai more than ever and to make sure nothing like that incident will never happen again.

"Uh… are you alright…?" Kai noticed the orange kunoichi's troubled expression.

"N-no…! I mean… I-I-I'm fine! I'm not sick or anything!" Aria stuttered.

"Then what's up with that face?"

"I was just thinking about… stuff..."

"You actually think?"

"Hey! Don't act like you're better than me!"

Kai rolled his fiery eyes but took it all in stride.

But little did Aria know Kai was plagued with the same mental dilemma. He already felt compelled to protect those important to him but with Aria, there was something different. He also wanted to make sure she was safe and no one would dare go after her and if they did, then he'll be the one to come to her defense. It wasn't just that either. He also wanted to be the one she can trust more than anybody else and to always ensure her happiness.

Aria seemed happiest when shopping or exploring and they were just sitting here doing nothing. The fire ninja considered taking her elsewhere as long as it made her content.

"If there's some place you wanna go, tell me." Kai suggested.

"Just hanging out with you is fine." The normally spirited girl stay put watching the world go by.

It took about half a minute for Aria to realize what she said, which also happens to be a new record.

'Did I just say that out loud!? In front of _Kai_!? No wonder people think you're weird!' The kunoichi of wind internally screamed.

Then again, it wouldn't be fair to only do what _she_ wants. Kai had done so much for not only her but the whole Secret Ninja Force. He was always there for Lloyd whenever anyone bullied him, protected his sister from anything, and overall just watching out for them. He was surprisingly sweet in his own hot-blooded way. She also wanted to be different from the way she was before becoming a ninja. She should let him lead the way for a change.

"Uh… I mean… I already took you to where _I_ wanted to go so..." Aria tried to follow through with her belief, "It doesn't have to be all about me… Why don't you decide where to go next…?"

Kai was surprised by the orange kunoichi's offer. He could only think about protecting her but for her to do the same?

As much as he desired to protect others, he didn't want to be protected. If there's one thing he hated more than the bullies who pick on Lloyd, it's being a burden.

'This is different! She's just making an offer!' The hotheaded ninja had to remind himself this was not a case of whether or not he's a bother to Aria. And now that he thought about it, there is one place…

"Actually, it doesn't matter where we go. As long as we're together, that's good enough..."

Kai and Aria felt their faces heat up but there's not much else they can do about it. The human heart and mind can be a very complicated thing.

* * *

Luna spent her weekend shopping at the Ninjago Mall. She's been wearing the exact same clothes all the time and even she needed to have some variety in what she wears. She looked through the jeans at Uniqla because she doesn't only wear dresses. As long as it wasn't too weird, the kunoichi of sound was willing to wear it.

"What's taking you so long!?" An abrasive voice shouted close to where Luna was.

"I'm sorry. I just can't find the right shirt..." Another voice, this one soft and muffled, replied.

Usually, Luna ignored this kind of stuff but she's now a ninja. The Luna Hoffman from before would've avoided confrontation but now that she's the kunoichi of sound, she can't back away from any cry for help no matter how big or small. Before she knew it, the auburn-haired girl marched over to the back of the store where the commotion was coming from.

"Is something going on…?" The purple kunoichi asked the visibly annoyed woman standing in front of the hall leading to the dressing rooms.

"Sorry for making a scene. My daughter just can't decide what kind of clothes she wants." The parent was clearly stressed but that wasn't an excuse to put so much pressure on her child.

"Maybe try letting her to take her time finding what's right for her." Luna suggested.

With impeccable timing, the daughter emerged in a shirt that was tacky to say the least.

"Do you think this looks good…?" The girl seemed unsure of herself.

"It's not you. That shirt is just plain ugly." Her parent grimaced at the sight of the hideous apparel.

"Uh… you may be better off picking something else..." Luna tried to put her down as gently as she can.

"O-okay..."

The purple kunoichi rummaged through the shirts Uniqla had to offer. She glanced at the girl with her long brown hair and went back to looking at clothes. It all starts with what kind of fashion she likes.

"How about this one? It'll look good if you want to go for more of a fresh style," The music-loving girl held out a white off-shoulder blouse with frills on the hem, "I also suggest wearing it over a plain dress for something a little more unique."

"I'll give it a try..." The ordinary civilian accepted the blouse and a pink dress and left to get changed.

It took a few minutes before the girl gingerly stepped out of the dressing room in the outfit the purple kunoichi recommended for her.

"You look wonderful!" The mother praised her.

"What do you think?" Luna asked for some insight.

"I… I really like it… Thank you so much for suggesting it." The girl's face reddened but otherwise looked happy with her new apparel.

"Is that the outfit you're gonna get?"

"Yeah!"

The girl changed back to her normal outfit and her mother paid for the blouse and dress.

"Before I go, I wanna say thank you so much! You're a real lifesaver!" The civilian thanked the kunoichi of sound before moving on with her own life.

Luna's feet seemed planted into the ground below and she stood completely still like the mannequins strewn about the store.

"You seem to have a real eye for fashion. Ever thought about working in the fashion industry?" One of the employees praised Luna for taking some of the workload off their shoulders.

"Not really, I just like to shop once in a while." The purple kunoichi's shyness came crawling back.

"Well that was still a really kind thing to do back there."

"I guess so. The world can use some kindness."

Luna left Uniqla pondering over what she just did and how it made her feel. This was probably the first time she's ever done any sort of service for someone and a complete stranger no less. She knew if she never agreed to be a ninja and remained the same wallflower as she's always been, she would've just stood in the sideline but something deep within motivated her to be different. She didn't know where she really got it from.

Maybe Cole's drive to help others was rubbing off on her? Or did she learn something from Zane and his selfless disposition? And what is this thing she's feeling?

It felt similar to when she sang in front of an audience without suffering from stage fright but it wasn't the exact same. Whatever it is, it made her feel like she did something truly meaningful.

'Maybe that's what Master Wu meant with all those speeches about being more than what we think we are...'

Luna left the store feeling something new. For the first time, she felt a true sense of purpose. She did have more to offer to the world besides singing and dancing. Being a ninja may not be so bad...

* * *

Nya may be a strong-willed and competitive girl but even she had times where she wants to just kick back and relax. She strayed from the rest of the ninja during their break to just stare at the ocean. It was kinda funny how she was able to find peace with her own element. She watched the waves go up and down in either rhythmic harmony or random discord depending on the winds.

Jay had been watching the kunoichi of water from a distance for quite some time and yes, he's aware how creepy he looked doing nothing but staring at her. He really wanted to go up and talk to her but he never had the guts to do it alone.

Iris was watching the whole time and was tempted to push the lightning ninja out into the open but a menacing aura loomed over her.

"Don't. You. Even. Dare." The pink kunoichi didn't even have to look at Heather to know she was giving her the mother of all death glares. The kunoichi of nature still hasn't forgiven her over what she did to her and Zane. Speaking of which, the nindroid was blissfully listening to the tunes of Cole's radio.

Jay still watched Nya from afar, thinking over the various courses of actions he could take, all of them not having a great outcome. He can only imagine how badly he'll screw up if he tries approaching her. He could end up tripping and falling into the water, bumping into Nya and _her_ fall in, a whale or some other large creature may jump up and soak them, or an aircraft may come crashing down and cause a tsunami. Jay quivered at the thought of those scenarios and more happening. But looking back on all the things he's been through, those were nothing.

'Alright, Jay. You've fought the Shark Army countless times. You can do this.' The shy teen gave himself a small pep talk before mustering what bravado he had and marched over to where Nya was. Walking over to her was fine and all but he was so obsessed over how he looked his gait was rigid and clumsy like a wind-up toy in its last leg. He almost looked like Zane but more awkward. Some of his steps were loud and others were quiet, creating a dissonance of echoes in each step he took and that made him easily detected.

Nya turned around to look at Jay, making him flinch.

"What are you doing?" The kunoichi of water gave him a quizzical look.

"I-I just happened t-to come out here a-and here we are! Heh heh..." The blue ninja shyly chortled.

Another bout of awkward silence muted the timid ninja for many moments until he remembered why he came out here in the first place.

"You won't mind the extra company, would you?"Jay asked.

"Knock yourself out." Nya scooted to the side, giving some space for him to sit.

The blue ninja was unsure about accepting her offer. It took several moments before he sat down. He joined Nya in staring at the blue ocean. In turn, the other ninja watched from the entrance. They were curious to see how this will devolve but their minds shifted focus to something even more important…

"Has anyone seen Nya?" Kai wandered around the warehouse, "I thought she'd be in the back working on her mech but I can't find her."

"Shit! What are we gonna do?" Cole whispered to the others.

"Hey Kai! Wanna see some tricks I taught Varjo?" Luna walked up to him before he was close enough to see Nya and Jay.

"I have better things to do." The fire ninja declined her offer and tried leaving to find Nya.

"But you're gonna enjoy them! Come with me!" The kunoichi of sound dragged the hotheaded ninja away from the entrance.

"And afterwards, how about we play some video games or watch TV?" Zane suggested. He also found a new reason he was brought to this world: prevent Kai from murdering Jay.

* * *

Nya and Jay were just staring at the ocean the whole time. The deep tones of the waters and the light hues of the bright sky above gave a wide variety of blue colors.

'Blue...' It was always Jay's favorite color and it brought memories of when he first met Lloyd, Kai, and most importantly, Nya. Even to this day, he can clearly remember how awestruck she was by his bright blue eyes though it paled next to the admiration he felt for her. If only he can do something special for her. He always wanted to take her to Parsa but anyone can do that. He wanted to do something for the silver kunoichi that no other person can do, not even her own family.

'This isn't supposed to be contest!' The lightning ninja reprimanded himself for thinking such.

The blue colors also brought back memories of a certain land far from Ninjago.

"This kinda reminds me of seeing the rivers that flow through Parsa." Jay finally said something.

"It does?" Nya glanced at the ninja clad in the matching colors of the sea and sky.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't want to listen to me ramble on about Parsa, especially after you've heard me do it plenty of times," Jay was flustered but now that he mentioned it, he can't stop thinking about his childhood home, "I like Ninjago City and all but Parsa will always hold a special place in my heart. It's not surprising since I grew up there. It's a really beautiful place with nice people, great food, and -"

"Jay, you're rambling." Nya shushed him.

"S-sorry..."

"No need to apologize. Sometimes, you ramble about interesting stuff."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'd like to hear more about Parsa… and of the things you and your family have made."

"Um, there was that time when Mom tried to make a solar-powered waffle maker. It's also important to conserve energy and we wanted to do that even when we're cooking..."

Back inside, the others tried to keep Nya's brother distracted but he was more and more suspicious of their odd behavior. As great as Into the Tetra-Verse is, Kai had seen that movie many times already. He can quote the whole film from memory. At least the ninja can get something new to add to the movie collection at the base.

And he's really starting to wonder where Nya is.

"This has gone on long enough!" Kai's patience has run out and shot up from his seat, "I'm gonna look for Nya myself!"

"But we're only getting to the good part!" Aria grabbed his gi to no avail and ended up being dragged along as he marched towards the entrance.

"We've seen that a million times already! I'm leaving!" The red

"Uh… I could soup up the Fire Mech if you want but you're gonna have to come with me." Even Lloyd was in on not letting Kai see his beloved sister stoop down to the same level as the nerdy Jay.

For a moment, the green ninja's idea seem to have struck a chord with the hot-blooded ninja. He did nothing but stand there with a thoughtful expression until...

"Meh." Kai also rejected the ninja leader's idea and continued making his way out of the stronghold.

"Never mind him! There's plenty of other stuff to do in here!" Iris shoved him back onto the sofa and whipped out her phone, "We can see what's trending on Facescroll or Chirper!"

"Forget it! I already know I'm the number one trend!" The spiky-haired ninja got up and the kunoichi of metal panicked. She's out of ideas and it looks like the others are also fresh out.

"Ahem!" A female voice caught the ninja's attention.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and slowly turned to the source of that sound.

"What did you do this time?" Nya asked, standing at the entrance with a jaded look on her face.

"Where the hell have you been!?" The red ninja yelled at her like an upset parent.

"Why do you need to know? I have a life besides being your sister!"

"You could've done something about these guys keeping me stuck in here all day!"

"Uh… did I miss anything…?" Jay popped up from behind the kunoichi of water.

"You!" Kai roared at the freckled boy.

The lightning ninja squeaked and hid behind Nya. Kai was ready to maul him but not if his sister had to say anything about it.

"Kai, stop being a big shit! You didn't see him at all so you can't prove anything!" The sister of fire was quick to shut him down, which the others have failed to do the whole time, depleting any confidence Lloyd and Cole had as men.

The ninja mentally sighed in relief. Looks like Jay will live another day.

* * *

 **That's all for this chapter. Also, please check out the latest chapter of 'Life with Kai & Nya' & I'd like to know if I should make changes to the story. See you later.**


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